Search continues for missing hikers in Nepal

KATHMANDU, Nepal, Oct. 16 (UPI) —

Rescuers continued to search Thursday for hikers trapped since Tuesday in a blizzard that struck Nepal’s Thorong La pass in the Himalayas.

"Nobody expects this kind of storm at this time of year, in October," said Narayan Bhandari, a Nepalese trekking guide.

Cyclone Hudhud in neighboring India has been partly blamed for severe weather this week in Nepal.

Nepal’s Army and police forces continued rescue operations Thursday, beginning their search at 6 a.m. in relatively good weather.

"It’s very difficult to reach at the area where it has been affected," said army spokesman Niranjan Shrestha. "A team of army personnel have also headed by road to the affected area on Tuesday but they will [arrive] only by this afternoon, as it takes two days of walking."

Officials estimate there were 168 foreign tourists registered to hike the area at the time of the storm.

An unknown number remain missing, with some believed to be sheltering in teahouses along the route. Bhandari noted that at least 36 hikers sought shelter at a lodge in High Camp and had sporadic cell phone service.

At least 26 hikers have been rescued so far, many suffering from extreme frostbite and broken bones.

On Wednesday, authorities reported 20 had been killed in the storm, though the death toll is expected to rise.