Five Italian nationals are among the nine people who died in Nepal’s Himalayas after a severe bout of extreme weather, according to an AFP-report cited by the Italian foreign ministry.
Two of the Italians — Alessandro Caputo and Stefano Farronato — had been missing since Friday 31 October while climbing Panbari Peak in western Nepal. They were reported by the ministry as confirmed dead by local authorities. The pair had last been in contact as they were at Camp 1 (5,000m) when heavy snowfall struck.
Meanwhile, the other three Italians were reportedly caught in an avalanche on the slopes of Yalung Ri peak in the Rolwaling Valley. The avalanche involved a group of twelve climbers on Monday.
Heavy weather conditions had struck Nepal’s Himalayas ahead of the avalanches and collapses, complicating rescue operations. In one report, up to seven individuals may have died in that particular avalanche, including Americans, a Canadian and an Italian climber.
The Italian foreign ministry issued a statement confirming the deaths of Caputo and Farronato and expressed its commitment to the ongoing search for other compatriots who remain missing. It noted that Caputo and Farronato had not made contact since the end of October, while at Camp 1 on Panbari.
