Heavy snows strand trekkers in the Himalayas

About 200 trekkers and their guides have been stranded by heavy snows in the Himalayan mountains in north-west Nepal for the past five days, an official said today.

The tourists were believed to be safe in Manang district, about 125 miles north-west of Katmandu, but communications were also down because of the snow storm, said Palten Gurung, a local politician.

The nationalities of the tourists were not known.

Autumn is the peak season for trekkers, when the weather is generally sunny and cool, but snow storms can occur suddenly.

Gurung said the stranded tourists were safe in two villages, but were unable to come down from the mountains.

There are no roads in the area and only one small airstrip in Manang that can handle smaller planes. Flights have been cancelled for the past few days because of the weather.