(MENAFN- The Peninsula) A trekker stranded for days in quake-hit Nepal has said he watched boulders the size of minivans smash buildings in a popular tourist area devastated by a massive avalanche, living to tell the tale using skills learnt from US reality TV show "Survivor".
American Corey Ascolani described to AFP how he spent five terrifying days in the remote tourist area of Langtang following the April 25 quake, which trapped hundreds of tourists and Nepalis.
"It was very hard to sleep, I remember feeling every vibration in the ground... my nerves were shot, I slept maybe one hour that first night," Ascolani said in Kathmandu, after he was airlifted to safety.
The 7.8-magnitude quake hit at the height of trekking season, wiping out Langtang's main village. With information still emerging from the remote area it remains unclear how many people were killed, but local authorities have found 60 bodies including 13 foreigners.
They estimate there could be more than 150 Nepalis and 100 tourists buried in Langtang village, which is home to around 400 people - mostly subsistence farmers or guest house workers.
In Bamboo village, at the start of the trail, Ascolani had stopped for a coffee at an outdoor teahouse when the ground began to shake, sending huge rocks hurtling down the cliffs on both sides of the gorge.
"We were running back and forth... the rocks just kept falling and it seemed like there was nowhere to go," said the 34-year-old former English teacher.
"There were these huge rocks, the size of mini-vans, smashing buildings and cutting the trees in half."
Ascolani, along with around 60 other tourists and 20 Nepalis, were immediately cut off in an area near Tibet accessible only on foot or by helicopter.
They were trapped in a gorge - unable to walk out because of constant rockfalls from the vertiginous slopes - and watched three helicopters come and go before finally being rescued.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.