The deaths of at least 27 people have been confirmed on Thursday, amid rescue teams' continuous efforts in looking for the bodies of missing hikers in Nepal's Himalayas.
So far, at least 220 trekkers had been rescued. The Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) told the Associated Press that about 70 more people are missing in the Annapurna trail, one of the most popular trails in the Himalayas.
Dozens have been killed and stranded in these mountains as a result of an extremely heavy amount of snowfall and blizzard on Tuesday morning. The Washington Post reported that a cyclone that hit India affected weather conditions in the Himalayas, causing the snowstorms when hundreds of people had already made progress in high altitudes.
"On Tuesday heavy snowfall began at about 8 AM," CNN quoted Bidur Kuikel from Annapurna Conservation Area project. He said the snowfall was so heavy that "there was no visibility beyond three meters."
The incident comes unexpectedly to avid trekkers and tourists to Nepal, as October is considered the month with the most favorable conditions, and thousands of hikers trek along the Annapurna trail in October of every year.
The search for the remaining number of people that have been unaccounted for will continue on Friday. Reports say that many of those stranded may be finding refuge in teahouses and hotels in the mountains.
This natural disaster in the Himalayas also comes just a few months after another tragedy in April, which occurred at Mount Everest, also located in Nepal. 16 lives had been lost in the incident.
