Five climbers rescued from Nepal peak, 1 missing

Kathmandu, Oct 22 (IANS) Five climbers -- four foreigners and a guide -- who were stranded on the Mera Peak in Nepal due to bad weather and massive snowfall have been rescued, with one mountaineer still missing, authorities said.

In a statement late Thursday, the Nepal Mountaineering Association said: "The climbers were stranded on the mountain while returning after reaching the peak. They were rescued on Tuesday and brought to the capital Kathmandu on a helicopter. They are receiving treatment at Kathmandu-based Grande Hospital," Xinhua news agency reported.

The Nepali climber with the expedition team is still missing on the 6,476 metre-high peak which lies close to Mt. Everest, said the association which issues climbing permits for 27 Himalayan mountains ranging from 5,800m to 6,500m.

Shanta Bir Lama, president of the association, told Xinhua that the climbers were stranded on Tuesday night as weather conditions worsened and helicopters could not be mobilised for rescue efforts.

"Three climbers including a British national were staying in a cave at the height of 5,600 meters for the last three days, while the others were stranded in the base camp of the mountain," he said.

"Due to bad weather, the rescue team mobilized on foot brought these three climbers out as helicopters could not be used for the search operation."

The search operation is continuing for the missing climber who had gone missing at the height of 5,600 metres, he added.

For the last few days, Nepal has been experiencing unseasonal rainfall which triggered floods and landslides, mostly in the eastern and western parts of the country, and snow on the mountains.

The landslides and floods have claimed 101 lives, while 41 remained missing.