Latvian Mountaineer Juris Ulmanis Recounts Experience in Nepal During Deadly Floods
Latvian mountaineer Juris Ulmanis has described what he lived through during a four-month Himalayan expedition, saying he was close to the epicentre of the devastating floods in Nepal. Thirty-three Latvian nationals remain missing after the disaster.
Juris Ulmanis, a Latvian mountaineer, businessman and National Guard officer, has told the magazine Privātā Dzīve about his experience in Nepal after a four-month expedition in the Himalayas. He set out for the mountains in June, and the region was later struck by floods and landslides that have claimed many lives.
Ulmanis stresses that the trip had been planned well in advance, before the disaster and before the monsoon rains began turning rivers into what he calls a destructive inland tsunami. He says he was relatively close to the epicentre. He cites more than 1,400 dead and thousands missing, adding that the tragedy also hit close to home for Latvia.
Unable to help officially
Ulmanis says he was eager to join rescue efforts but could not do so officially, because Latvia had not sent a specialised rescue unit to the disaster zone. Acquaintances of his from the Nepal Mountaineering Association were working in the affected area.
At the height of the disaster, conditions in the mountains changed extremely fast, and the climber admits he feared for close companions and guides. One guide, Dava, had fortunately reached Kathmandu just before the disaster. There was greater uncertainty about another friend, Nima, who might have been at the base camp below Himlung Himal, which was buried by a giant avalanche. Reports said four locals had died and 12 were missing. When Nima was finally reached by phone, he said he was fine.
What happened
On 26 August, a glacier collapse triggered a flow of ice fragments, and a glacial lake released floods of water and mud, causing widespread damage in Nepal and China. A group of Latvian tourists was also near the site. Latvia's Foreign Ministry earlier said three Latvian residents in the region were unharmed, while 33 people are considered missing.
Nepalese authorities have confirmed that DNA profiles sent in connection with the 33 missing Latvian nationals have been received and are valid.
