Rescuers found a body of French mountaineer, 13 still missing

Rescuers in Nepal have identified the body of a French climber who was buried in an avalanche on a Himalayan peak last week along with 13 other French and Nepalese mountaineers.

The body of Bruno Chardin of Beaufort, France, has been flown to the capital, Katmandu, said Lok Bahadur Khatri, an official at the Nepalese Tourism Ministry, which handles mountaineering affairs in the country.

Rescuers were still digging through piles of snow for the others despite worsening weather conditions on the 6,981-meter (22,900-foot) Kang Guru in northwestern Nepal. All the climbers presumed dead.

The 14 climbers including three Frenchmen and 11 Nepalese porters and Sherpa guides went missing last week after heavy snowfall hit the Himalayas. Rescue officials said the climbers had been swept away and buried by an avalanche.

Four other porters and Sherpa guides managed to return safely to Pokhara, a town about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Katmandu.

Bad weather delayed the search operation and the first rescue team only reached the base camp by helicopter on Sunday, reports the AP.

P.T.