Three women from Britain and Ireland have been rescued after being stranded for three days in the Himalayas.
The three women, two of whom are British citizens, had been trapped in an area above Marpha Valley, also known as the Hidden Valley, since Monday.
Catherine Jane Wilson, a 53-year-old from Reigate, Emily Jene, a 44-year-old from London and Mary Reape, a 65-year-old Irish national were left stranded while hiking in Nepal on Tuesday, alongside 12 Nepali guides.
Initial efforts to find and rescue the group were unsuccessful due to extreme weather conditions.
Heavy snowfall has led to the closure of several popular trekking routes including in Everest and Annapurna.
Nepalese security officers located the group in a high-altitude basin near the Annapurna route, according to Det Supt Chhiring Kippa Lama of police in the Mustang district.
Due to the poor visibility and weather issues, the rescue team set up a temporary base at Yak Kharka in Nepal’s Manang district and contacted the stranded trekkers on foot, the detective superintendent said.
Lt Col Gaurab Dhoj Khand Thakuri said: “They were barely able to walk, but were really happy when they saw us.”
Three Britons were rescued after three days stranded in the Himalayas
He added that they were sent directly to a military hospital for medical checks and served hot soup.
Binay Lama, director of the company which organised the trip said the team had been sheltering for three days.
He said: “We had enough supplies to last for two more days.”
The group made contact by satellite phone to the organisers on October 28 as the snowfall intensified.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Adventurers risk venturing through the Himalayas
|REUTERS
The organisers then contacted the police who began to mobilise a rescue team.
Mr Lama added: “The trekkers told us it was hard to walk and move because of poor visibility and heavy snowfall.”
Rajaram Basnet, a Nepalese army spokesman, said they could not use helicopters to locate the group due to the snowfall.
They were trekking a route from Mudi village in Myagdi district to Marpha in Mustang, crossing the Italian basecamp when snowfall increased and blocked the trail.
The area is one of the most isolated trekking regions in Nepal and is known for rapidly changing extreme weather.
Nepalese officials warn that avalanches, landslides and road blockages could continue to affect the area until at least Saturday.
October is one of the most popular times for Nepalese trekking routes such as Annapurna Base Camp, Manaslu and Langtang circuits.
On Wednesday, in the neighbouring Manang district, approximately 1,500 trekkers were rescued from Tilicho Lake after heavy snowfall trapped them.