Nepal blames 'cheap tourists' for falling victim to deadly snowstorm
Officials in Nepal have blamed the high death toll from last week's snowstorm in the Himalayas on "cheap" tourists who failed to hire guides to cross a mountain pass to save money.
Officials in Nepal have blamed the high death toll from last week's snowstorm in the Himalayas on "cheap" tourists who failed to hire guides to cross a mountain pass to save money.
At least 40 people were killed and around 175 injured when the sudden snowstorm in the country's Annapurna region trapped hundreds of trekkers at altitudes of more than 5,000 metres.
Rescue efforts were continuing yesterday, with 12 helicopters and Nepali soldiers reaching the Thorung La, the pass where 17 people are now known to have died. About 40 people are believed to be still missing. "The army have cleared the route at [the] Thorung pass and evacuated 40 trekkers who [were able to] walk to [the nearest road] and rescued six others whose injuries meant they were not in condition to walk," a Nepalese Army spokesman said.
Nepal's Tourism Ministry spokesman Mohan Krishna Sapkota said those who suffered most were "cheaper tourists" who did not want to hire individual guides.
But accounts from survivors indicated that guides had encouraged trekkers to attempt the hazardous crossing of the pass despite their clients' misgivings.
