American killed after avalanche hits Tibetan mountain and fellow climber missing

08 October 2023 , 21:59

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Anna Gutu was confirmed dead on Sunday, after attempting to climb Tibet’s Mount Shishapangma (Image: anyatraveler/Instagram)

An American mountaineer and his sherpa have died after a Tibetan avalanche as a fellow US climber remains missing.

The tragedy follows an attempt to scale the world’s 14th-tallest peak Tibet’s Mount Shishapangma. It happened on Saturday when two avalanches hit its slopes at around 26,000 feet. Chinese media says US traveller Anna Gutu, 32, and her guide, Mingmar Sherpa from Nepal, were reported missing. The pair were were later confirmed dead after being pulled out of the snow by rescuers.

American Gina Marie Rzucidlo, 45, and Nepalese Tenjen Sherpa, also vanished after the avalanches which have led to 120 deaths in the area over the past two years. They are still missing.

Mingmar Sharpa was also reported missing - and his body was retrieved along with the Americans on Sunday (mingmar_sherpaa/Instagram)

They had been competing to become the first American women to traverse the true summits of a series of mountains in the Himalayas and neighboring Karakorams.

The peaks including Shishapangma, are all considered 'death zones'. This is because beyond a certain point the amount of oxygen on the mountains are insufficient to stay alive. The Himalayan Times reported their bodies were recovered by a mountaineers on Sunday, but Rzucidlo and her guide, are still said to be missing after the avalanches.

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

Still missing is Gina Marie Rzucidlo, another American who had been racing to be the first female from the US to reach the summits of the world's highest peaks (ginamarierzucidlo/Instagram)

Gina Marie Rzucidlo wanted to scale mountains in the area with 8000 metre peaks (ginamarierzucidlo/Instagram)

They were among total of 52 climbers from countries like Britain, Romania and Pakistan trying to reach the summit when they were hit by the avalanches hit. Nepalese mountain guide Karma Geljen Sherpa, meanwhile, was escorted down the mountain by rescuers and is in stable condition.

Rzucidlo, had been climbing with Seven Summit Tracks, while Harila, an accomplished climber confirmed on Saturday that she and members of her team were travelling to Nepal to help search for both climbers.

Harila's team said in a statement her "thoughts and prayers are with [Tenjen] and his family."Gutu, whose exploits had garnered more than 33,000-strong following on social media was climbing with Elite Exped, a climbing company founded by Nepalese mountaineers in 2017.

Anna Gutu was confirmed dead Sunday, after attempting to climb Tibet’s Mount Shishapangma (anyatraveler/Instagram)

Born in Ukraine, the American's friends and fans have since flocked to her social media accounts to pay their respects.

One tribute, left by renowned Indian police official Gurjot Singh Kaler, read: "Really miss you. Heartbroken to learn about the avalanche. You were one of the best human beings I ever came across."

Another tribute left on social media added: "We lost the most beautiful light today. The world will never be as bright without you. You are forever frozen in time as our beautiful mountain angel. I love you very much."

Graeme Murray