Each year, tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world go to Nepal to explore and admire the breathtaking Himalayan Mountains. The rich tourism in the area is welcome, since the population living there desperately needs money. Each year, millions of dollars are earned from tourism in this spectacular region. The dangers which hide at every step in such regions have revealed themselves on Tuesday, killing 17 people from different corners the world. Heavy snowfall covered the trekkers which made it up to higher altitudes.
As Everest’s Sherpas still refuse to climb it’s heights after the avalanche that killed 16 people in May, another recent tragedy has occured. The heavy snowfall that begun on October 13, covered the Annapurna region in a thick layer of snow killing 12 trekkers. Annapuna is the most popular trekking area of the Himalayan mountains. So far, only four bodies have been recovered: one Israeli citizen, two Polish citizens and another person from Nepal. In the neighboring Manang district five more casualties have been reported: one Indian and four Canadians. Their bodies were recovered, according to the Manang district police official Narayan Datta Chapagain.
After Tuesday night’s avalanche at the base of Mount Dhaulagiri five people were reported missing. Three of the missing persons were from Nepal and the other two from Slovakia. Also four injured persons were recovered in the area, after an army helicopter went looking for them. However, very little is known so far about their health and general condition. The same army patrols rescued 38 trekkers on Wednesday. The trekkers got trapped on the Annapurna Circuit because of the snowfall. Top government official in Mustang district, Baburam Adhikari said 244 trekkers avoided the heavy weather crossing the Thorung La Pass and arriving in Muktinath village at the beginning of the week. “We do not know how many are missing, but there is a possibility that there are people missing,” Baburam Adhikari declared.
It is expected that these recent incidents might negatively impact Nepal’s vital tourism industry. It’s estimated that in May, when it is the high season for tourism, a total of $3 million is obtained from Everest climbers. In the year 2013, 102,000 foreign trekkers took part in mountaineering and trekking on Nepal’s territory.