|
. | . |
|
by Staff Writers Kathmandu (AFP) Aug 7, 2015 The vast majority of guesthouses and trails on the popular Mount Everest trekking route emerged unscathed from Nepal's devastating earthquake, said an assessment report released Friday. Tourism-dependent Nepal had called in international experts to examine trekking routes in the Everest and Annapurna region following April's disaster to certify that they were safe for hikers. A team of structural and geotechnical engineers led by US-based firm Miyamoto International surveyed the Everest trail on foot and on a helicopter to check for quake-triggered destruction and hazards. "About 83 percent of accommodations are undamaged on the main trekking route and others are repairable," said the firm's president Kit Miyamoto. Miyamoto identified five damaged areas along the route with rockfall and landslide hazards and suggested diverting the trails to safer alternatives. "A post-monsoon assessment has to be done in the region," Miyamoto said, adding that the short window of time ahead of the monsoon made it difficult for a comprehensive study. Tulsi Gautam, chief of Nepal's tourism department, said that the government is committed to follow up on the recommendations. "We have already allocated budget for this purpose and will begin work as soon as the monsoon ends," Gautam said. Miyamoto International had also studied the Annapurna route and, in a report released last month, said that the route was largely unaffected, with only six of 250 guesthouses assessed showing repairable damage. Following the quake, international trekking operators expressed concerns about safety, while insurance companies have been reluctant to cover trekkers visiting Nepal. "This report will help assure our visitors of safety," said Ram Sapkota of a trekking company, Mountain Delights. "But after monsoon the government as well as private tour operators need to reexamine the dangers pointed in the report and make sure that the route is not risky," Sapkota added. The 7.8-magnitude quake that struck on April 25 killed more than 8,800 people across the Himalayan nation and triggered a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest that killed 18 people including foreign climbers. It also wreaked a trail of death and destruction in Langtang, another popular trekking trail. Nepal's snow-capped peaks make it a trekker's destination, with around 150,000 of them visiting the Annapurna circuit and Everest region every year.
Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |