Rescuers have recovered four bodies from the site of an avalanche that struck a climbing group in the Nepalese part of the Himalayas. The avalanche hit the base camp of Himlung Himal peak in Manang district on Sunday morning. A dozen people are still thought to be missing. The group, consisting of Nepalese nationals, including climbers and support staff, had been sent ahead of foreign climbers to prepare the camp and fix ropes.
Forecasts showed heavy snowfall around the 7,126m peak in recent days, which lies on Nepal's border with Tibet. Poor weather has hampered rescue efforts, with helicopters and rescue teams initially unable to reach the site. A rescue team consisting of experienced mountaineers was rushed from the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, via helicopter. The team ascended the mountain hoping to find survivors.
On Sunday, the first two bodies were found, with another two bodies discovered on Monday. The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, which sent out a rescue team, said in a social media post that the avalanche was exceptionally large, with approximately 14 feet of snow covering the Base Camp area. Searching every section manually was extremely difficult and dangerous due to the depth of snow, freezing temperatures, and unstable conditions.
The group said it had temporarily paused operations due to the conditions but will continue to monitor and make every possible effort to recover the remaining bodies when it becomes safe to do so. The Nepalese team caught in the avalanche had been sent ahead of foreign climbers to prepare the camp, manage the route, and fix ropes on the mountain. Nepal's mountain districts have seen persistent rain and snow in recent days, creating treacherous conditions for the country's economically important climbing tourism industry.
Climbers were forced to leave Mount Manaslu, the eighth highest peak in the world, earlier this week due to the rising threat of avalanches. The latest death of Nepalese climbers comes less than two months after six lost their lives on Broad Peak in Pakistan, including renowned British-Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja. It also comes as efforts to recover bodies continue on the Nepal-Tibet border, where more than 6,000 people are still missing after a massive flood and landslide in August.
More than 1,400 people are confirmed to have died after a glacial collapse in the Himalayas sent vast quantities of water and debris careering down the Trishuli River valley, sweeping away settlements. Dangerous weather events have also affected other parts of Asia in the past week. Extreme weather in the neighbouring Indian region of Uttar Pradesh has also killed more than 50 people, officials there said.
Meanwhile, a flood emergency disaster has been declared across Bangkok, Thailand, because of heavy rainfall since Thursday, with people being urged to stay at home or move to higher floors. The avalanche has highlighted the risks faced by climbers and support staff in the Himalayas, particularly during periods of extreme weather. Authorities are working to recover the remaining bodies and provide support to those affected.
Key points
- Four bodies recovered from avalanche site in Nepal's Himalayas
- 12 people still missing after avalanche hits base camp
- Poor weather hampers rescue efforts in Nepal's Himalayas
