Fresh Snowfall Impedes Search for Missing Trekkers in Northwestern Nepal

Rescuers in northwestern Nepal were impeded by fresh snowfall as they continued searching the Annapurna mountain region for seven missing trekkers on Monday, January 20.

Tourism department official Mira Acharya told Reuters that “bad weather, heavy snow and continuous avalanches” had caused officials to temporarily call off the search, which was expected to continue once the harsh weather improved.

The trekkers – described by local media as four Koreans and two Nepali nationals – went missing after an avalanche occurred near their base camp on Friday, January 17.

Four missing Chinese tourists were found alive on Sunday, the Himalayan Times reported.

This footage was shared by Captain Ananda Thapa, a pilot with Simrik Air, one of the companies assisting the search and rescue efforts. It shows a Simrik Air helicopter in the skies above the Annapurna region as well as climbers traversing the snow. Credit: Capt Ananda Thapa/Simrik Air via Storyful