Those missing are believed to be near the Annapurna trail, a route located about 100 miles northwest of the capital of Katmandu, where October is peak trekking season because of the favorable weather. Officials are worried the death toll could rise after a massive snowstorm Tuesday left hikers stranded.
Search teams rescued dozens of foreign hikers from different parts of the Manang district Thursday, according to a news release from the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal. That follows news that more than 60 trekkers, including Nepali support staff, were rescued from the adjacent Mustang region Wednesday.
"On Tuesday heavy snowfall began at about 8 a.m.," Bidur Kuikel of Annapurna Conservation Area project told CNN, adding hikers typically spend the night at local camps before leaving as early as 4 a.m. to cross the Torang La Pass. "There was no visibility."
The bodies of 10 victims — who have yet to be identified — were recovered from the Torang La Pass area Thursday, the trekking association reported. Four other bodies were recovered there Wednesday.
Trekkers from Hong Kong and Israel who were rescued told harrowing tales of taking shelter in a small tea shop along the path as the blizzard battered the mountains.
"We tried not to sleep. We tried not to get hypothermia. It was a very frightening and awful situation," said Yakov Megreli from Israel.
Linor Kajan, injured and stuck in waist-deep snow, said she lost her group and couldn't see anything.
"One Nepalese guide who knows the way saw me and asked me to stay with him. And he dragged me, really dragged me to the tea shop. And everybody there was really frightened," she said.
The harsh blizzard appears to have contributed to an avalanche that killed at least eight in Manang district. A separate avalanche 45 miles to the west killed five climbers.
The deaths come after an April avalanche killed 16 Nepalese guides near a base camp on Mount Everest in the deadliest disaster in the mountain's history.
Each year, about 100,000 foreigners travel to Nepal to climb its mountains, CNN reported. http://www.usatoday.com/
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