Manaslu avalanche: 12 or more victims

The government has confirmed that at least 12 trekkers lost their life in Sunday’s avalanche, and the search for the rest of the missing persons is still on. The rescue operation is being jointly conducted by theNepalarmy, the police and the civil administration near base camps two and three of Mt Manasulu, the worst affected points by the avalanche, some 300km west from here.

The rescue operation that had been aborted around 3pm — 11 hours after the disaster — on Sunday due to bad weather , was resumed early on Monday.

Of the dead, nine have been identified — Ludo Challeat, Fabrice Priez, Cathrine Ricard and Philippe Bos (French), Domique Ouimet (Canadian), Marti Gasull and Cristine Mittermeyer (Spanish), Alberto Magliano (Italian) and Dawa Sherpa (Nepalese).

“Their bodies are being brought toKathmanduand their families will be notified,” a Home Ministry official told this correspondent.

According to official information, six bodies have been brought toKathmanduand their bodies kept in the mortuary on the German embassy premises.

Altogether, 18 others are getting treatment in local hospitals “and the search mission is on” to locate the other “missing”, the official said.

Bad weather and poor accessibility have been hampering the search mission.