Dozens of people remained unaccounted for after the peak hiking season storm -- sparked by Cyclone Hudhud -- that defied favorable weather predictions. Unseasonal blizzards and avalanches in the Himalayan region of central Nepal have killed at least 29 people, including eight foreign hikers .More than 89 foreign tourists remained out of contact in Mustang district, officials said.The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said officials at the Australian embassy in Kathmandu were in contact with Nepalese authorities who have advised that so far they have no reports of Australians having been affected.However, Mustang has seen unusually heavy snowfall this week as a result of Cyclone Hudhud, which struck neighbouring India's eastern coast at the weekend.An avalanche buried one Indian and four Canadian trekkers in Phu on Wednesday, said the chief administrator of Manang district. The snow buried the trekkers’ bodies and digging them out would take days, he said.An avalanche buried one Indian and four Canadian trekkers in Phu on Wednesday, said the chief administrator of Manang district. The snow buried the trekkers’ bodies and digging them out would take days, he said. Ganesh Rai, the police official in charge of recovery efforts, said rescuers hampered by poor communications, had evacuated 43 stranded trekkers, including Hong Kong and Israeli visitors airlifted to Kathmandu with frostbite.
