Rescuers have recovered two bodies from the site of an avalanche that struck a climbing group camping in the Nepalese part of the Himalayas. The avalanche occurred on Sunday morning at the base camp of Himlung Himal peak in Manang district. 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 on the mountain.
Around a dozen people are still thought to be missing after the avalanche. Forecasts had shown 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 exact number of climbers still unaccounted for remains unclear. Bibhuti Chand Thakur, of Himalaya Holidays Trekking, told news agency AFP that at least eight members of his expedition team had been reported missing. The Nepalese team 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 continues 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. The incident highlights the risks faced by climbers and locals in the region, which is prone to extreme weather events.
Extreme weather events have also affected other parts of Asia in the past week. Extreme weather in the neighbouring Indian region of Uttar Pradesh has killed more than 50 people, officials there said. Meanwhile, a flood emergency disaster has been declared across Bangkok because of heavy rainfall since Thursday, with people being urged to stay at home or move to higher floors.
Key points
- At least two bodies recovered from avalanche site in Nepal's Himalayas
- Dozens of climbers still missing after avalanche hits Himlung Himal peak
- Extreme weather events affect multiple regions in Asia, causing loss of life and displacement
