KATHMANDU, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 climbers were injured on Monday after an avalanche hit the base camp of Mt. Manaslu in Nepal, the Department of Tourism said.
Most of the injured are climbing guides as they were swept away when the avalanche struck at 11:30 a.m. local time, said Yubraj Khatiwada, director of the department's mountaineering section.
"Five of the 15 climbers injured in the avalanche are in serious condition," he told Xinhua. "Three helicopters are in standby but the airlift hasn't been possible due to bad weather."
Though there were over 40 foreign climbers at the time, they were left unaffected as they were stationed inside the base camp of Mt. Manaslu, the world's eighth tallest peak at 8,163 meters, the director added.
As many as 404 climbers from 38 teams have got permits to summit the peak in the autumn season, according to the department. ■
