Twenty trekkers, including two German nationals, who were stranded in the base camp of Mount Saribung (6,346m) of Mustang district, have been rescued safely after 24 hours.

The area where they were stranded is at an altitude of 5,925 metres in the Lamjung-Manang region. 

The trekkers were stranded at the camp since Friday afternoon after a snowstorm blew away their tents and other belongings. 

A group of trained Sherpas and two choppers were deployed to rescue the trapped trekkers, said Manang Chief District Officer Bhim Kanta Sharma. “Adverse weather condition had affected rescue operation on Friday,” said Sharma. 

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagannath Gautam, German national Tobias Groenen, 48, his wife Gudrun Ingrid Ziermann, 44, and their guides Hom Bahadur Galan and Aite Tamang of Lachyang in Nuwakot district have been already airlifted to Kathmandu. 

Sixteen others have descended to Gumba of Phu VDC in Manang. 

The expedition team had started descending after climbing the Saribung peak on April 29 and was scheduled to reach Besishahar on May 24. Saribung is a newly opened mountain for expedition and lies close to Tibetan border in the remote part of Mustang district. 

DSP Gautam said the trekkers lost their tents, sleeping bags and kitchen materials in the snowstorm. 

About 40 trekkers, both foreigners and Nepalis, died in the Annapurna Trekking route in Manang and Mustang districts due to avalanches and snowstorms triggered by Cyclone Hudhud in October 2014.