Kathmandu, October 8
One Nepali climber has lost his life along with his client, and another climber is currently missing along with his client after an avalanche struck Shishapangma, the 14th-highest mountain in the world on Saturday.
American climber Anna Gutu and her guide Mingmar Sherpa of Elite Exped were confirmed dead by those at Shishapangma base camp. Gutu was aiming to become the first American woman to complete all 14 8,000-metre mountains.
On the other hand, Seven Summit Trek‘s Tenjen Sherpa (Lama), who recently completed all 14 8,000-metre mountains in three months, is missing with his client Gina Marie.
Bother Marie and Gutu were bidding to become the frist American women to complete the 14 peaks.
A ground-based rescue operation is underway to locate the missing individuals, while expedition agencies are in the process of seeking permission from the Chinese government to deploy helicopters from Nepal.
“It is a tough process but we are trying our best,” says Thaneswar Guragai, general manager at Seven Summit Treks.
According to reports, the avalanche occurred around 7,800 metres. A number of climbers have been injured due to the avalanche.
With limited communication, the timing of the next summit push on the mountain remains uncertain. It is also unclear whether the Chinese government will permit another summit push in the aftermath of the avalanche.
