3 climbers missing on Nepal’s Mount Dhaulagiri

Photo from wikipedia.org

KATMANDU — Nepalese mountaineering officials say three climbers have been missing on the world’s seventh highest peak since last week and weather was hampering rescue efforts.

Family members of one of the missing have already said Spanish climber 49-year-old Juanjo Garra died. He and his Sherpa guide fell Thursday while descending from Dhaulagiri’s 8,167-meter (26,795-foot) summit, and the Spaniard was no longer able to walk.

Another climber 67-year-old Japanese Chijuko Kono and a 50-year-old Nepalese guide have been reported missing since Friday.

Wind and snow were hampering rescue efforts.

Details were still sketchy on how the climbers went missing, but an avalanche was reported.