Punjab Newsline |Kathmandu
An avalanche struck the base camp of the 7,126-metre Himlung Himal in Nepal’s Manang district near the Tibet border on Sunday morning, leaving at least 10 people, including mountaineers and support staff, reportedly missing.
Expedition operators confirmed the incident and said search and rescue efforts had been launched to locate those missing. Rishi Bhandari, General Secretary of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal, confirmed the incident and said two of the missing people are associated with Imagine Nepal Pvt Ltd, while eight are linked to Himalayan Holidays Nepal.
Expedition operator Mingma Gyalje Sherpa also confirmed that the avalanche occurred on Sunday morning. He said two kitchen staff members from his expedition team were among those reported missing.
According to expedition operators, mountaineering teams and rope-fixing teams had moved down from the mountain slopes after receiving weather warnings last week. However, some people were reportedly reluctant to leave the area and remained behind at the base camp.
The Himlung Himal region has been experiencing heavy snowfall for several days. Adverse weather conditions had already disrupted autumn climbing activities, forcing mountaineers to retreat from the mountain.
The latest avalanche has added to the challenges faced by rescue teams operating in the high-altitude region. Heavy snowfall and continuing poor weather conditions are making search and rescue operations difficult.
Authorities and expedition operators are working to determine the whereabouts of the missing people and assess the situation at the base camp. Further details are expected as rescue teams continue their efforts and weather conditions allow operations to proceed.
The Himlung Himal incident comes amid difficult weather conditions in the region, with persistent snowfall affecting mountaineering activities and limiting movement around the mountain.
