Two Pakistani mountaineers, Naila Kiani and Sirbaz Khan, who recently scaled 8188-meter-high Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth highest peak in Tibet, have survived an avalanche near Tibet’s Shishapangma peak (8,027 meters), reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.
However, according to a report in The Himalayan Times, the slide killed American climber Anna Gutu and her guide, Mingmar Sherpa of Nepal.
The report says that two other climbers are missing: Gina Marie Rzucidlo of the US and Tenjen Lama Sherpa of Nepal.
Gutu and Rzucidlo were attempting to become the first American women to climb the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters at the time of the disaster.
Tenjen Lama Sherpa recently completed a record-breaking ascent of the mountains while guiding Norwegian Kristin Harila. The two scaled the peaks in 92 days.
Shishapangma is the world’s 14th highest peak.
Quoting eyewitnesses, the Himalayan Times said the group of climbers was approximately 300 feet below the summit when two avalanches swept down the main route to the top.
The avalanches hit at least seven climbers; in addition to the two dead and two missing, three others—Kami Rita Sherpa, Mitra Bahadur Tamang, and Karma Gyalzen Sherpa.
Climber Mingma G of guiding company Imagine Nepal Treks organised a rescue party to reach the group. According to The Himalayan Times, the rescuers found the bodies of Gutu and Mingmar Sherpa in the snow.