NEW DELHI
The death toll in an avalanche after a snowstorm in Nepal reached 30 on Thursday, Press Trust of India reported.
Four bodies were recovered, two of Indians and two of Canadians, from Narkhu village in the Manang district, some 200 kilometers from Kathmandu, the state capital, by the Nepalese Army as they resumed rescue operations on Thursday morning in good weather conditions. The bodies were found near Thorong Pas, a popular trekking site among hikers.
The avalanche, which hit the snow-clad mountain range on Monday, is one of the worst in recent years.
Gopal Babu Shrestha, Treasurer of Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, confirmed the death toll of 30. The dead includes a total of three Indians, as the the body of one Indian trekker was found on Wednesday in the same area.
On Wednesday, 12 Israelis and two citizens of Hong Kong, injured in the avalanche, were airlifted to Kathmandu by an Army helicopter. The survivors, many of them with severe injuries were admitted to the army hospital in Kathmandu, the New York Times reported quoting an official.
Many trekkers and tourist guides are still believed to be waiting in isolated lodges to be rescued.
The avalanche occured after an unexpected snowstorm which was the result of Cyclone Hudhud which hit India’s east coast on Sunday killing 22 people in southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.
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