US Mountaineer, Local Guide Dead after Avalanches Hit Tibetan Mountain

Tourists walk by a woman wearing Tibetan costume posing for a photo at the thousand-household Tibetan village, one of the tourism spots in Litang county, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of southwestern China's Sichuan province, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Tourists walk by a woman wearing Tibetan costume posing for a photo at the thousand-household Tibetan village, one of the tourism spots in Litang county, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of southwestern China's Sichuan province, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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US Mountaineer, Local Guide Dead after Avalanches Hit Tibetan Mountain

Tourists walk by a woman wearing Tibetan costume posing for a photo at the thousand-household Tibetan village, one of the tourism spots in Litang county, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of southwestern China's Sichuan province, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Tourists walk by a woman wearing Tibetan costume posing for a photo at the thousand-household Tibetan village, one of the tourism spots in Litang county, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of southwestern China's Sichuan province, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

American mountaineer Anna Gutu and a Nepalese guide Mingmar Sherpa were confirmed Sunday dead after avalanches struck the slopes of a Tibetan mountain, while two others remained missing, according to Chinese media reports.
The avalanches struck Tibet’s Mount Shishapangma on Saturday afternoon at 7,600 (24,934 ft) and 8,000 meters (26,246 ft) in altitude, according to state-owned Xinhua News Agency.
Two others, American climber Gina Marie Rzucidlo and a Nepalese mountain guide Tenjen Sherpa went missing, the news agency said.
The avalanches also seriously injured Nepalese mountain guide Karma Geljen Sherpa, who was escorted down the mountain by rescuers and is currently in stable condition.
A total of 52 climbers from various countries including the US, Britain, Japan, and Italy were attempting to summit the mountain when the avalanches hit, Xinhua said.
Climbing activities have since been suspended due to snow conditions.
Shishapangma is the 14th-highest mountain in the world, at over 8,027 meters (26,335 ft) above sea level.



Tiny Caribbean Territory Offers Cash, Plane Tickets and a Hotel Stay to Fight Brain Drain

An airplane approaches the island of St. Maarten. (AFP file)
An airplane approaches the island of St. Maarten. (AFP file)
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Tiny Caribbean Territory Offers Cash, Plane Tickets and a Hotel Stay to Fight Brain Drain

An airplane approaches the island of St. Maarten. (AFP file)
An airplane approaches the island of St. Maarten. (AFP file)

The Dutch Caribbean territory of St. Maarten is offering cash, plane tickets and an extended hotel stay to attract professionals and students back home.

Prime Minister Luc Mercelina announced this week that married couples would get $2,000 and single people $1,100 for a relocation allowance, as well as economy-class plane tickets, a six-week stay at a hotel and large containers to transport their belongings.

Families also would get $140 per child, he said Wednesday evening.

Mercelina also said the government would offer a salary adjustment allowance in certain cases and help cover a portion of student loans for those who move back to the territory.

The offers aim to reduce a shortage of skilled professionals on St. Maarten, a territory of some 46,000 people with a net migration rate of 5.7 migrants per 1,000 persons, ranking 16th worldwide.