An avalanche struck a base camp at Himlung Himal peak in Manang district on Sunday morning, resulting in the recovery of two bodies and leaving around a dozen people unaccounted for. The affected group consisted of Nepalese nationals, including climbers and support staff, who had been positioned ahead of foreign climbers to establish the camp and secure ropes on the mountain.
Heavy snowfall had fallen in recent days around the 7,126-meter peak, which sits along Nepal’s border with Tibet. According to a representative from Himalaya Holidays Trekking, at least eight expedition team members were reported missing, though the precise total of unaccounted personnel remained uncertain. Rescue operations faced significant obstacles from poor weather conditions, preventing helicopters and rescue teams from accessing the site initially.
A rescue team composed of experienced mountaineers was deployed from Kathmandu via helicopter, with efforts expected to resume the following day given the challenging snow and weather circumstances. The incident occurred amid broader severe weather patterns affecting Nepal’s mountainous regions, with persistent rain and snow creating hazardous conditions. These dangerous circumstances had forced climbers to evacuate Mount Manaslu, the world’s eighth-highest peak, earlier that week due to heightened avalanche risk.
The fatalities represent a recent tragedy in Nepal’s climbing sector, following the deaths of six climbers on Broad Peak in Pakistan less than two months prior. Separately, recovery operations were ongoing along the Nepal-Tibet border following a major flood and landslide in August that killed more than 1,400 people and left over 6,000 missing. The region has experienced multiple extreme weather incidents, with heavy rainfall affecting other areas including Bangkok and deadly typhoon impacts in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures, phenomena attributed to intensified storm patterns linked to warming sea water conditions.
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