KATHMANDU, Nov 13: Tourist guide Lal Bahadur Tamang of Kanche-1, Nuwakot, who had been missing after falling while ascending the Mardi Himal located in Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality, has been found dead.
Four Nepalis, accompanying Tamang along with one foreigner from the Sunrise Company of Kathmandu, had left Mardi Base Camp on November 8 to climb the mountain. Tamang,62, slipped off the steep slope in the afternoon of November 10 and had been out of contact since then.
Hari Bahadur Chhetri, ward chairman of Machhapuchhre-9, said that the rescue team that had gone to locate Tamang found his body at an altitude of 5,300 meters and returned to Mardi base camp at night.
One mountain-climbing tourist guide goes missing
The rescue team includes Lhakpa Chhiring Sherpa, Chhiring Lama Bhote and Pasang Sherpa.
Ward Chairman Chhetri said, “The rescue team recovered the body, which was buried in the snow at the gorge of the cliff, to a safe location 200 meters above with the help of a rope and then returned to the base camp. According to the rescue teams, it is not possible to bring the dead body from that place. Only a helicopter can safely transport the body from this location and we are taking initiatives for that.”
A Norwegian citizen, who had come to ascend Mardi Himal, reported to Prestige Burlakoti, the porter of the team, that Tamang had gone missing after falling down. Following that, security personnel, three Sherpas, the missing person's family and representatives of Sunrise Company reached Mardi's hike camp from Pokhara on Tuesday morning for rescue.
Chhetri said that after the team initially inspected the scene from a helicopter, the rescue team went to the possible scene on foot for a search operation. There is a problem in the search operation due to geographical difficulties and adverse weather conditions.
