Bodies of people killed by violent storm on Mount Gurja airlifted to Kathmandu

The bodies of nine climbers, including five from South Korea, which was retrieved on Sunday after they were killed in a violent storm on Mount Gurja have been airlifted to Kathmandu for post-mortem, a mountaineering association official said.

The nine climbers, which also included four Nepalese support staff, died during an unexpected violent snowstorm that buried them at the base camp at an altitude of 3,500 metres near the south face of Mount Dhaulagiri in western Nepal's Myagdi district on Friday evening.

A helicopter dropped a rescue team on Sunday morning at the camp where the South Korean climbing expedition was staying and later retrieved the bodies.

The bodies were airlifted to Kathmandu and handed over to the doctors of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for postmortem.

"The dead bodies have been airlifted to Kathmandu Sunday morning and handed over to the doctors at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for conducting a postmortem," said Ang Pemba Sherpa, president of Trekking Agencies Association Nepal.

The officials have identified the deceased South Koreans as Jaehun Lee, Chang Ho Kin, Jin Rim, Youngjik Yoo and Joon Mo Jeong.

The Nepali victims are Tsering Bhote, Lakpa Sangbu Bhote, Phurba Sherpa and Netra Chhantyal.

The mountain Mount Gurja, with a 7,193-metre peak, is in western Nepal.

Mountaineering is a major source of income for Nepal.

Falling from cliffs and mountains are among the most common causes of death during expeditions.

In 2015, an avalanche triggered by a powerful earthquake killed 19 climbers and injured 61 others. A year before, 16 sherpa guides were killed in an avalanche.

(With inputs from agencies.)