China.org: Experts in climate change and the changing environment of the Himalayan region said Sunday’s avalanche that left at least nine dead and five others missing in northern Nepal was caused by large quantity of soft snow that had piled up since Sept. 14.
“In the past three days, the mercury went on increasing in the Himalaya region and it was so hot in the region and it slowly started melting new snow which were accumulated in the region, resulting in an avalanche,” said Dr. Arun Bhakta Shrestha, a climate change expert and member of the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development Nepal.
Pradeep Kumar Moor, president of International Center for Integrated Mountain Development and climate change expert also attributed the avalanche to after a disturbance created on a heavy snow accumulated after week-long snowfall in the region for the past one week.
There is always more risk of avalanche in hilly region of Nepal after the region witnessed continuous snowfall, said Moor. Rajendra Shrestha, senior meteorologist at the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, said soft snow which formed within a week after heavy snowfall will not be so hard and it can be easily melted after increase in the temperature and disturbance will be created there.
At least nine people including foreign climbers were killed while five others remained missing after an avalanche hit the base of Mt. Manaslu in northern Nepal Sunday morning. The avalanche fell off from an altitude of 7,400 meters and came down to 6,000 meters, said Aang Tshering Sherpa, member of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.
It took place at a time while tourists were taking a sleep in their respective tents at around 4:00 a.m., he said.So far the police have recovered the bodies of the dead and identified one German citizen, Crispian Hermen, and one Nepalese citizen, Babu Dorje Sherpa. The body of deceased German national has been brought to Kathmandu by a helicopter.
About 18 other tourists were injured in the avalanche, most of them from Germany, the police said. The bad weather affected the rescue operations, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Basanta Kunwar.
