Nepal trekking tragedy raises safety concerns for tourists

A Taiwanese man rescued after spending 47 days trapped under a waterfall at an altitude of 3,600 metres in central Nepal has raised questions about trekking safety in the country.Liang Sheng Yueh, who turned 22 on Friday, was hiking with his girlfriend Liu Chen Chun on March 11 when they slipped on snow and fell into a cave under a waterfall.The two were reportedly travelling unaccompanied by any experienced locals on a route toward the Ganesh Himal mountains, known for its treacherous terrain and sparse population.After losing contact with their children, the parents of the two contracted the Asian Trekking agency on March 26 to conduct a search and rescue."For 4-5 days they ate the food they carried with them and they managed to survive only on water and salt until they were discovered by the search team," a statement issued the agency said. Liu died three days prior to the arrival of rescuers on Wednesday.  Her body is in a mortuary in Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu.Liang is recovering in hospital.Thukten Sherpa, the executive director of Asian Trekking, recounted his team's efforts to retrace the couple steps.He said in the statement that after several failed attempts to find them, the rescue team spotted vultures hovering over a deep ravine and then noticed items of clothing.The tourists had lost their way in a snowstorm and were trying to find a village when the accident took place, the agency said."Why did the government allow the two tourists to trek in such a difficult route without a guide?" asked the chairman of Himalayan Rescue Association, D B Koirala.Following a devastating earthquake in 2015, the government introduced a policy of not allowing a trek without a porter or a guide. "It is clear that the provision wasn't strictly enforced," said Koirala.In addition, there is a lack of official and dependable weather information for trekkers and climbers. Experts also blame climate change for the increasing frequency of weather-induced accidents.Since 2011, there have been repeated mishaps on major trekking trails. In April 2014, following the deaths of 16 Sherpa guides in an avalanche, Everest was shut down for climbing for that season. The same year, a blizzard took lives of 39 trekkers in the popular Annapurna region in the west of Nepal. The earthquake of April 2015 took lives of 17 climbers in the Everest region.