Heavy snow forces evacuation of 30 Russians from Mount Manaslu VIDEO

Thirty Russian climbers are being urgently evacuated from Mount Manaslu in Nepal after heavy snowfall raised the risk of avalanches and made further progress toward the summit too dangerous.

According to SHOT, the group includes 17 climbers travelling together, among them several well-known Russian mountaineers. They have already left the high-altitude camps and begun descending the mountain.

Heavy snowfall has buried all fixed safety ropes above Camp 3. On the route to Camp 4, snowdrifts have risen above waist level, making further ascent impossible even for experienced Sherpas. The avalanche risk has also reached a critical level.

Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate further. From September 24, a cyclone moving in from the Bay of Bengal could bring another two to three meters of snow, according to the report.

The expedition has therefore been called off, leaving Manaslu — the world’s eighth-highest mountain — unclimbed this season.

Four people have died on Manaslu since the beginning of the current climbing season. Two were killed by an avalanche, another climber died during the descent, and a Sherpa suffocated inside a tent after inhaling generator exhaust fumes.

A total of 39 Russian climbers have been registered on the mountain this season. This autumn, a record 493 foreign climbers obtained permits to attempt the ascent. Together with guides and support personnel, more than 1,000 people were present at the foot of the mountain.

By Tamilla Hasanova