The second American mountaineer, who went missing after avalanches struck a Tibetan mountain, has been declared dead, as per a report by the Independent. Notably, the deadly avalanches struck experienced climbers Anna Gutu and Gina Marie Rzucidlo at around 25,000 feet on Mount Shishapangma Saturday afternoon.
While Anna Gutu and her Nepalese guide Mingmar Sherpa were confirmed dead on Sunday, Gina Marie Rzucidlo and her guide Tenjen Sherpa, were declared dead by the Chinese Authorities on Monday afternoon, according to her sister's Facebook post. Ms. Rzucidlo was only 80 meters from the summit of Mount Shishapangma when she was struck, her mother said.
“Through tear-filled eyes and with an enormous hole in my heart, I type this post that I never thought I would have to make. The Rzucidlo family wants to share that Chinese authorities have declared my sister Gina and her Sherpa Tenjen Lama as deceased,” Christy Rzucidlo, sister of Ms Rzucidlo, said in a post on Facebook.
The avalanches also seriously injured Nepalese mountain guide Karma Geljen Sherpa, who was escorted down the mountain by rescuers and is currently in stable condition
Notably, both Ms Gutu and Ms Rzucidlo were racing to become the first American woman to summit all 8,000-metre peaks. Anna Gutu often shared her expedition successes on Instagram.
Shishapangma, standing at just over 8,000 meters (26,246 feet) above sea level, is the world's 14th tallest peak. It is widely regarded as one of the easier mountains of that height, known among climbers as the "eight-thousanders".
Chinese state media has yet to describe the scale of the avalanche, which it said took place at an elevation of over 7,600 meters, or give details on whether there were other climbing parties in the vicinity and if they were affected.
October is a popular month for climbers in the Himalayas due to its traditionally more stable conditions as monsoonal rains ease. But scientists warn global warming is raising avalanche risks in high-altitude regions including the Himalayas. Meanwhile, climbing activities on Shishapangma have since been suspended due to snow conditions.
A total of 52 climbers from various countries including the U.S., Britain, Japan, and Italy were attempting to summit the mountain when the avalanches hit, Xinhua said, as reported by Fox News. At least 120 people have been killed by avalanches in the Himalayas over the past two years.
