Taipei, March 19 (CNA) A mountaineering accident on Qilai East Ridge in Hualien County has left one person dead and another 16 trapped in a cabin waiting to be rescued after continuous snowfall in the area, according to local officials.
The deceased, a 58-year-old man surnamed Lee (李), was reported by his companions to have gone missing Monday morning, Lin Wu-cheng (林武正), commander of the Hualien County Fire Department First Corps said.
He was found that morning at 10 a.m. without any vital signs, Lin said, citing their report.
The department received a report at around 10 a.m. on Monday asking for air crew assistance to airlift Lee’s body from the mountain, Lin said.
However, due to bad weather and poor visibility, the chopper was unable to fly as of Wednesday noon, Lin added.
Meanwhile, the 16 mountaineers, took refuge in a nearby cabin due to low temperatures and accumulated snow, they told officials.
The food stored at the cabin is enough to last until Thursday, they said.
The first eight-person rescue team set out on Monday, Lin said.
While it normally takes about 9-10 hours to reach Lee’s location, 30 centimeters of accumulated snow and the steep slopes of the mountain have hindered their progress, said Lin.
Peng Ti-hsuan (彭第軒), captain of the rescue team said that continuous snowfall forced the team to pull back for safety reasons.
Meanwhile, Lin told CNA that the mountain conditions are very different from usual as the trails are covered with snow.
Although a search and rescue helicopter is on stand by, the fog is currently too thick to fly, he added.
The chopper is expected to navigate the area on Thursday morning and confirm rescue plans. Hopefully, the 16 people and the deceased man can be brought down at that point, Lin said.
The 17 people include 14 mountaineers and 3 porters, who went up the mountain from Qilai trailhead on Saturday, intending to end their trek on Thursday.
