First Religious Female Air Force Navigator among Israelis Killed in Nepal Avalanche

Three Israelis, including the first religious woman to serve as an Israeli Air Force navigator, were killed Wednesday morning in in a snow storm in the Himalayas in Nepal.

A fourth Israeli remains missing, and at least 28 others were killed, but dozens of others are missing. Twelve Israelis were among approximately 60 hikers who were rescued by helicopters.

The navigator was identified as 24-year-old Tamar Ariel, from Masuot Yitzchak, a religious moshav near Ashkelon. The other two known Israelis to have died in the tragedy are Nadav Shoham, 30, of the national religious community Hoshaya in the Galilee, and Agam Luria, 23, from Kibbutz Yifat.

The Foreign Ministry first knew of the disaster from foreign news reports that began trickling in several hours before the Shemini Atzereth-Simchat Torah holiday.

One Israeli who is traveling in the area told The Jewish Press that the travel agent with whom he is hiking confirmed the victims were their clients. He added,”There have been torrential rains from a cyclone in the area, with as much as several inches a day for three days.”

The avalanche was on a popular trail known to tourist guides and hikers.