(Adnkronos) – Nine people – including five Italian and one French climber – have died in the Himalayas where two separate incidents occurred since Friday: yesterday morning, an avalanche swept away 12 people who were at a base camp in Yalung Ri, a 5,630-meter high peak in eastern Nepal, and seven of them died. Among the victims are three Italians, one German, and one Frenchman, as well as two Nepalese, Phurba Tenjing, a Sherpa from the Dreamers Destination trekking agency, told AFP. “I saw the seven bodies,” Phurba said, adding that recovery operations are underway. Pruba’s agency had organized the expedition for three of the seven victims.
Two French, two Nepalese, and a fifth person were rescued this morning, said Gyan Kumar Mahato, a senior police official in the Dolakha district. Another fatal incident resulted in the death of two people in western Nepal: Stefano Farronato and Alessandro Caputo, two Italian climbers, caught in a heavy snowfall while climbing the Panbari peak. They were part of a three-member expedition, but there had been no contact with them since Friday. The expedition leader, who was at the base camp, was rescued by helicopter on Sunday.
