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Mt Everest to reopen next month

Monday, 10 August 20153 min read

The Nepal government said it will officially reopen Mount Everest to trekkers on September 4.

However a report commissioned by the government says four sections of the route to the summit have been damaged and should be avoided.

Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism Suresh Man Shrestha said the sections would be repaired once monsoon rains end in September.

"We are even ready to welcome trekkers from now onwards, but the only thing is they must be accompanied by experienced guides," he said.

The World Bank funded survey of the area found 17% of Himalayan villages were damaged by the April earthquake which claimed 9,000 lives.

"The majority of accommodation structures and trails have sustained minimal damage," the report said.

Everest base camp has some minor damage and it will be reopened for visitors after repairs, tourism department officials said.

More than 130,000 trekkers and climbers visit the Annapurna and Everest regions each year.

The Annapurna area has already been assessed and reopened recently.

Meanwhile East Malaysia’s Mount Kinabalu, which also suffered an earthquake, welcomed its first group of climbers at the weekend since the mountain was damaged several weeks ago.