Norgay-led trekkers land in capital from Nepal

Rescue team personnel carry an injured person towards a waiting rescue helicopter at Everest Base Camp on April 26

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) Ten Indian trekkers, led to safety by Jamling Norgay -the son of legendary mountaineer Tenzing- in Kathmandu, are back in the Indian capital.

Their 17-day trek to Mount Everest Base Camp was halted by the devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake, five days into the trek.

"The girls were airlifted by a helicopter and they were taken to Kathmandu in the morning today (Wednesday). They left for New Delhi, and we are happy they are home," Akshay Kumar, CEO, Mercury Himalayan Explorations (MHE), an organisation involved with the trek, told IANS.

The team took an Indian Airlines flight back to Delhi.

Jamling has stayed back in Kathandu to check on the damage that his office there may have suffered, Kumar said.

The younger Norgay, 49, and the 10 women -- aged between 21 to 41 -- had been waiting to be evacuated from Tengboche village in Khumbu region of northeastern Nepal.

The team, led by Jamling, were headed to the Base Camp of the world's highest peak as part of a 'Fulfill Your Everest' initiative, launched by Star Plus channel and Fair and Lovely (FAL) Foundation. This was being done as an extension of the channel's show "Everest", produced by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker.

At the village they had access to food and shelter.

Jamling is the son of the legendary Tenzing who climbed Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953, and has himself summitted Everest in 1996. He was in constant touch with MHE, communicating about the team's status through a satellite phone.

The team had taken off on a flight to Kathmandu from Delhi on April 20 and upon reaching there they took off for Lukla, from where they started the long trek.