2014 Nepal snowstorm disaster

Last updated

2014 Nepal snowstorm disaster
Annapurna I ABC Morning.jpg
Annapurna South seen from Annapurna Base Camp
Native name विसं २०७१ को हिमआँधी प्रकोप
Date14 October 2014 (2014-10-14)
Location Manang and Mustang Districts, Nepal
Cause Cyclone Hudhud
Deaths43 deaths [1]
Non-fatal injuries175
Missing50

The 2014 Nepal snowstorm disaster occurred in central Nepal on 14 October 2014 and resulted in the deaths of at least 43 people of various nationalities, including at least 21 trekkers. Injuries and fatalities resulted from unusually severe snowstorms and avalanches on and around the mountains of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. [2] The incident was said to be Nepal's worst trekking disaster.

Contents

Events

Thorong La Pass in 2006. Thorung La.jpg
Thorong La Pass in 2006.

On 14 October 2014, a snowstorm and series of avalanches occurred on and around Annapurna and Dhaulagiri in the Manang and Mustang Districts of Nepal within the Himalaya range. [2] According to an unnamed expert the storm arose from Cyclone Hudhud and was the worst in a decade with almost 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) of snow falling within 12 hours. [3] The storm resulted from the unusual merger of a tropical cyclone with an upper trough. [4] [5]

Electric power, cell phone service, and internet connections failed in the Manang District, hampering relief efforts. [6] Trekkers in the area at the time of the storm consisted of citizens from several countries, including 78 from New Zealand. [7] One of the first calls for international assistance was raised by the Israeli embassy in Kathmandu after trapped tourists sent a hand-written note from the top of the pass with a local guide who descended the mountain. [8] [9] Twenty-one trekkers and guides from Nepal, Slovakia, and Germany were rescued on 15 October after the avalanche the previous day. [9] When search and rescue operations ceased on 19 October, up to 400 people had been rescued from various areas including Thorong La, [2] the Manang and Mustang areas, [9] and the Tukuche basecamp of Mustang. [10]

The storms resulted in the deaths of at least 43 people. [1] [11] [12] [13] Among the dead were 21 trekkers from several countries walking the Annapurna Circuit, [14] including two Slovak climbers at Dhaulagiri base camp, [9] and several local Nepali mountain guides, cooks, and yak herders. [15] Up to 50 people were estimated to be missing with 175 reported to have injuries such as severe frostbite. [15] [16]

Legacy

Local authorities were criticised for not giving sufficient warning of approaching bad weather to the trekkers and local residents. [16] However, some officials believe that those killed or injured were inexperienced and inadequately equipped. [14] [17] The Prime Minister of Nepal Sushil Koirala called the loss of life “extremely tragic at a time when worldwide weather updates are available every second”, and said that weather warning systems would be improved. [17] The Nepal Tourism Ministry said that the incident "has taught us a lesson”, and that more emergency shelters and better weather tracking and communication were needed to avert future tragedies. [14] Newly proposed procedures and regulations include a trekker registry, checkpoints, GPS tracking units and mandatory use of trained local guides. [17] However, regulations at the time required trekkers to check in at various waypoints and licensed guides were already recommended. There was no system in place at the time to inform trekkers of weather conditions en route.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annapurna</span> Eight-thousander and 10th-highest mountain on Earth, located in Nepal

Annapurna is a mountain situated in the Annapurna mountain range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal. It is the 10th highest mountain in the world at 8,091 metres (26,545 ft) above sea level and is well known for the difficulty and danger involved in its ascent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter storm</span> Low-temperature extreme weather events of high winds and freezing precipitation forms

A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental and subarctic climates, these storms are not necessarily restricted to the winter season, but may occur in the late autumn and early spring as well. A snowstorm with strong winds and other conditions meeting certain criteria is called a blizzard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eight-thousander</span> Mountain peaks of over 8,000 m

The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognised by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than 8,000 metres (26,247 ft) in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise definition of the criteria used to assess independence, and, since 2012, the UIAA has been involved in a process to consider whether the list should be expanded to 20 mountains. All eight-thousanders are located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges in Asia, and their summits are in the death zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhaulagiri</span> Eight-thousander and 7th-highest mountain on Earth, located in Nepal

Dhaulagiri, located in Nepal, is the seventh highest mountain in the world at 8,167 metres (26,795 ft) above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country. It was first climbed on 13 May 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition. Annapurna I is 34 km (21 mi) east of Dhaulagiri. The Kali Gandaki River flows between the two in the Kaligandaki Gorge, said to be the world's deepest. The town of Pokhara is south of the Annapurnas, an important regional center and the gateway for climbers and trekkers visiting both ranges as well as a tourist destination in its own right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manaslu</span> Eight-thousander and 8th-highest mountain on Earth, located in Nepal

Manaslu is the eighth-highest mountain in the world at 8,163 metres (26,781 ft) above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in west-central Nepal. Manaslu means "mountain of the spirit" and the word is derived from the Sanskrit word manasa, meaning "intellect" or "soul". Manaslu was first climbed on May 9, 1956, by Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu, members of a Japanese expedition. It is said that, given the many unsuccessful attempts by the British to climb Everest before Nepali Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary, "just as the British consider Everest their mountain, Manaslu has always been a Japanese mountain".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kali Gandaki Gorge</span> Himalayan gorge in Nepal

The Kali Gandaki Gorge or Andha Galchi is the gorge of the Kali Gandaki in the Himalayas in Nepal. By some sources, it may be one of the deepest gorges in the world.

Lieutenant Colonel James Owen Merion Roberts MVO MBE MC was one of the greatest Himalayan mountaineer-explorers of the twentieth century; a highly decorated British Army officer who achieved his greatest renown as "the father of trekking" in Nepal. His exploratory activities are comparable to those of Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mustang District</span> District in Gandaki Province, Nepal

Mustang District is one of the eleven districts of Gandaki Province and one of seventy-seven districts of Nepal which was a Kingdom of Lo-Manthang that joined the Federation of Nepal in 2008 after abolition of the Shah dynasty. The district covers an area of 3,573 km2 (1,380 sq mi) and in 2011 had a population of 13,452. The headquarters is located at Jomsom. Mustang is the fifth largest district of Nepal in terms of area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorong La</span> Mountain pass in Nepal

Thorong La or Thorung La is a mountain pass with an elevation of 5,416 metres (17,769 ft) above sea level in the Damodar Himal, north of the Annapurna Himal, in central Nepal. Thorong Ri is on the slope of Khatung Kang and Yakawa Kang are the mountains forming Thorong La. The pass is located on a trail that connects the village of Manang in the Manang District to the east, with the temple of Muktinath and the nearby village of Ranipauwa, in the Mustang District to the west. Thorong La is the highest point on the Annapurna Circuit, a 300 km (190 mi) route around the Annapurna mountain range. In addition to trekkers, the pass is regularly used by local traders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1972 Iran blizzard</span> Deadliest blizzard in history

The Iran blizzard of February 1972 was the deadliest blizzard in history, as recorded by the Guinness Book of Records. A week-long period of low temperatures and severe winter storms, lasting 3–9 February 1972, resulted in the deaths of over 4,000 people. Storms dumped more than 7.9 metres of snow across rural areas in northwestern, central and southern Iran. The blizzard came after four years of drought.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jomsom</span> Town in Mustang, Nepal

Jomsom, also known as Dzongsam, is the centre of Gharapjhong rural municipality in Mustang district and a former independent village development committee situated at an altitude of about 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) in Gandaki Province of western Nepal. The soaring peaks of Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri form a backdrop to the town straddling the Kali Gandaki River, which flows right through the centre of Jomsom. Along the banks of the Kali Gandaki, black fossilised stones called shaligram, considered as an iconic symbol and reminder of the god Vishnu in the Hindu culture, can be found. Such stones are believed to be found only in the Kali Gandaki, and are considered holy by Hindus.

The East Asian snowstorms of 2009–2010 were heavy winter storms, including blizzards, ice storms, and other winter events, that affected East Asia from 8 May 2009 to 28 February 2010. The areas affected included Mongolia, China, Nepal, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Kuril Islands, Sea of Okhotsk, Primorsky, and Sakhalin Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annapurna Circuit</span> Mountain trail in central Nepal

The Annapurna Circuit is a trek within the mountain ranges of central Nepal. The total length of the route varies between 160–230 km, depending on where motor transportation is used and where the trek is ended. This trek crosses two different river valleys and encircles the Annapurna Massif. The path reaches its highest point at Thorung La pass, reaching the edge of the Tibetan plateau. Most trekkers hike the route anticlockwise, as this way the daily altitude gain is slower, and crossing the high Thorong La pass is easier and safer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclone Hudhud</span> North Indian Ocean cyclone in 2014

Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Hudhud was a strong tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage and loss of life in eastern India and Nepal during October 2014. Hudhud originated from a low-pressure system that formed under the influence of an upper-air cyclonic circulation in the Andaman Sea on October 6. Hudhud intensified into a cyclonic storm on October 8 and as a Severe Cyclonic Storm on October 9. Hudhud underwent rapid deepening in the following days and was classified as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm by the IMD. Shortly before landfall near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on October 12, Hudhud reached its peak strength with three-minute wind speeds of 185 km/h (115 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 960 mbar (28.35 inHg). The system then drifted northwards towards Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, causing widespread rains in both areas and heavy snowfall in the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 India cyclone</span> Category 1 North Indian tropical cyclone in 1995

The 1995 India cyclone was a tropical cyclone that struck southeastern India which later spawned a rare snowstorm in Nepal, triggering the deadliest mountain trekking incident in the country's history in November 1995. The storm originated from the monsoon trough on November 7 in the Bay of Bengal, east of India, becoming the penultimate storm of the 1995 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. Moving northwestward, the system gradually intensified while moving toward land, eventually developing an eye in the middle of the convection. Reaching peak winds of at least 120 km/h (75 mph), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) classified the system as a very severe cyclonic storm on November 8, in line with intensity estimates from the American-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). On November 9, the cyclone made landfall near the border of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. A typical for most November storms, the system continued to the north and dissipated over Nepal on November 11.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gangapurna</span> Mountain in Nepal

Gangapurna is a mountain in Gandaki Province, Nepal. It is part of the Annapurna mountain range in north-central Nepal at an elevation of 7,455 metres (24,459 ft) and with the prominence of 563 metres (1,847 ft). It was first ascended in 1965 by a German expedition via its south face and east ridge. Gangapurna is entirely located in the Annapurna Conservation Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhaulagiri II</span> Mountain peak

Dhaulagiri II is a mountain in Gandaki Province, Nepal. It is part of the Dhaulagiri mountain range in north-central Nepal at an elevation of 7,751 metres (25,430 ft) and with the prominence of 2,391 metres (7,844 ft). Dhaulagiri II is the second highest mountain in the Dhaulagiri mountain range and it was first climbed by an Austrian-American expedition from its northwest side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annapurna (mountain range)</span> Mountain range in the Himalayas

Annapurna is a massif in the Himalayas in north-central Nepal that includes one peak over 8,000 metres (26,247 ft), thirteen peaks over 7,000 metres (22,966 ft), and sixteen more over 6,000 metres (19,685 ft). The massif is 55 kilometres (34 mi) long, and is bounded by the Kali Gandaki Gorge on the west, the Marshyangdi River on the north and east, and by the Pokhara Valley on the south. At its western end, the massif encloses a high basin called the Annapurna Sanctuary. The highest peak of the massif, Annapurna I Main, is the 10th highest mountain in the world at 8,091 metres (26,545 ft) above sea level. Maurice Herzog led a French expedition to its summit through the north face in 1950, making it the first eight-thousander to be successfully climbed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenjen Sherpa</span> Nepalese mountaineer (1987/1988–2023)

Tenjen Sherpa, also known as Tenjen Lama Sherpa, was a Nepalese mountaineer, who climbed all 14 eight-thousanders together with Kristin Harila in 92 days. He went missing after an avalanche hit on Shishapangma on 7 October 2023. He was declared dead by Chinese authorities on 8 October 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 "Death toll in Nepal's worst trekking disaster reaches 43". www.reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Nepal Annapurna: Search ends for surviving trekkers". BBC News. 19 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Nepal Annapurna: Trekking disaster toll reaches 39". BBC News. 18 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  4. ↑ Wang, S.-Y., B. Fosu, R. R. Gillies, and P. M. Singh, 2015: The Deadly Himalayan Snowstorm of October 2014: Synoptic Conditions and Associated Trends. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 96, S89-94.
  5. ↑ Simon Wang, S.-Y.; Gillies, Robert R.; Fosu, Boniface; Singh, Pratibha M. (2015). "The Deadly Himalayan Snowstorm of October 2014: Synoptic Conditions and Associated Trends". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 96 (12): S89–S94. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-15-00113.1 .
  6. ↑ "What to do in Kathmandu?". transvaya. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Kiwis trek to safety after deadly Nepal avalanches". The New Zealand Herald.
  8. ↑ "The note of desperation that helped save Nepal trekkers". 18 October 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Death toll passes 39 as freak snowstorms hit Annapurna region". British Mountaineering Council. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "7 rescued from Tukuche base camp". Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  11. ↑ Sharma, Bhadra; Najar, Nida (15 October 2014). "Blizzard and Avalanche Kill at Least 20 Trekkers in Himalayas". The New York Times . Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  12. ↑ Sharma, Gopal (15 October 2014). "Freak Nepal blizzards kill at least 20, including hikers, guides". Reuters. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  13. ↑ Kannampilly, Ammu (15 October 2014). "Himalayan blizzard, avalanche kill 17 trekkers in Nepal". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 "Nepal tightens up mountain rules in wake of Himalayan hiking disaster". The Guardian. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  15. 1 2 "Nepal trekking disaster: Britons still 'missing' after severe snow storm". The Telegraph. 19 October 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Nepal blizzard: survivor tells of friends' deaths on Annapurna circuit". The Guardian. 16 October 2014.
  17. 1 2 3 "Nepal blames 'cheap tourists' for falling victim to snowstorm in Himalayas". The Guardian. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.

28°47′37″N83°56′20″E / 28.7936°N 83.9388°E / 28.7936; 83.9388

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.