17 climbers dead after avalanche in Mongolia

ULAANBAATAR: The death toll from an avalanche in Mongolia rose to 17 on Wednesday after rescuers found the bodies of seven missing climbers who had ignored a ban on climbing a mountain.

The Mongolian nationals went missing on Sunday after climbing the 4,021-metre (13,192 foot) Mount Otgontenger, the National Emergency Management Agency said.

The group was made up of four women and 13 men aged 30 to 50, and there were no survivors.

Ten bodies had been found earlier this week, while a separate team of 10 climbers had found their way down the mountain safely.

Otgontenger is a popular destination for climbing tourism, boasting the country´s most extensive granite wall.

Just four other climbers have died since the 1960s, but the environment ministry in 2015 banned climbing for safety reasons.