KATHMANDU, Nepal: The death toll from unseasonal snowstorms and avalanches which battered the Himalayas in northern Nepal early this week, has reached 32 including foreign and local tourists.
Meanwhile, more than 100 stranded tourists have been rescued; however, dozens are still missing or are stranded.
The Nepalese authorities said that Nepalese, Canadian, French, Indian, Slovak, Polish, Vietnamese and Israeli citizens are among tourists who died due to avalanches and snowstorms which hit Mustang, Manang and Myagdi districts bordering China on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The authorities said that helicopters on Friday renewed their search for missing trekkers after there were improvements in the weather.
Nepal`s Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has pledged to provide better weather information in tourist areas, saying the loss of life was “extremely tragic at a time when worldwide weather updates are available every second”.
“I want to assure that the government will make efforts to establish early warning centres for weather in the important spots across the country, especially in the Himalayan areas and along rivers,” he said in a statement.
