Death toll in Nepal blizzard that engulfed Annapurna trail rises to at least 39

Himalayas, Oct 19 (ANI): An amateur video filmed by a British survivor of the deadly blizzard that engulfed Nepal's popular Annapurna trail in the Himalayas showed hikers amid heavy snow and blasting winds which made sighting close to impossible. The death toll in the blizzard has risen to 39, police and army sources said. Authorities rescued 60 more people on Saturday, when the army deployed troops on a ground search. More than 40 people were still missing after unseasonal weather in the peak trekking season unleashed avalanches on the 240-km (150-mile) route around Annapurna, the world's 10th-tallest peak, which takes enthusiasts three weeks to complete. The bodies of two hikers of Indian and Japanese nationality were recovered from the Himalayas on Saturday and taken to a post mortem ward in Kathmandu. Paul Sherridan, a British survivor of the blizzard said that deaths could have been avoided had safety measures been put into place at the appropriate time. Oct 19, 2014