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.