Death toll in avalanche in Indian Himalayas rises to 16 – statement

LUCKNOW (Reuters) – Rescuers in northern India recovered 12 bodies of trainee mountaineers on Thursday, bringing the confirmed death toll to 16 from an avalanche in the Himalayas, the state-run Nehru Institute of Mountaineering said.

Dozens of people participating in a training course run by the institute were caught up in the avalanche that swept down the slopes of Draupadi Ka Danda 2 peak on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Saurabh Sharma; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Peter Graff)