Kathmandu [Nepal], September 27 (ANI): Two bodies have been recovered following an avalanche at the base camp of Himlung Himal in Nepal’s high-altitude Manang district.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), via Nepal Police headquarters, confirmed in a post on X that search and rescue personnel dispatched to the site recovered two deceased individuals at the high-elevation camp.
Earlier in the day, expedition organizers confirmed that at least 10 people had gone missing after the avalanche struck the base camp.
Expedition organizer Mingma Gyalje Sherpa confirmed that two of his kitchen staff were among those missing after the avalanche.
“The avalanche hit on Sunday morning,” he said.
According to Sherpa, expedition teams and rope-fixing teams had evacuated the mountain slopes following a weather warning issued last week, while some people reluctantly stayed back.
The mountain region had witnessed heavy snowfall for several days, forcing climbers to retreat from the autumn ascent of the mountain. Those missing in Sunday’s avalanche are from different expedition companies.
Himlung Himal, standing at 7,126 meters in Manang district, requires an additional permit for helicopter flights, adding to the difficulties involved in reaching the mountain.
The 7,126-meter peak is a popular objective for climbers seeking experience at high altitude.
The incident comes as a weather system over the Bay of Bengal brings heavy snowfall to the mountains and persistent rainfall to Nepal’s hills and plains. Rain and snowfall have affected several parts of the country.
Nepal has been witnessing adverse weather conditions since Friday, disrupting roads and prompting local authorities to close several sections to traffic.
Tourism authorities have urged trekkers and climbers to suspend activities as weather conditions deteriorate. The Department of Tourism has also issued an alert advising that tourism activities be put on hold.
Meanwhile, floodwaters from the Narayani River have inundated several areas, prompting authorities to issue warnings to residents to evacuate.
This comes as relentless rainfall since Thursday has killed at least 14 people across Nepal, with inundation, flooding and landslides reported throughout the country, prompting alerts and warnings.
This morning, authorities issued a warning for all residents living along the Narayani River in central Nepal after it crossed the warning level of 9 meters and entered settlements.
Highways leading to Chitwan, which serves as a juncture for travel across the nation, also remain blocked, with landslides reported in multiple locations.
At least six people died from rain-induced disasters between Thursday and Saturday evening, according to the NDRRMA, while four additional people died Sunday morning in a landslide incident in Myagdi District.
Similarly, a landslide in adjoining Baglung District also killed four people, a local official confirmed to ANI. The Kaligandaki River flowing through the district has also swept away houses and bridges, disrupting road connectivity.
Security forces have been carrying out evacuations in multiple districts following inundation and the risk of floods, moving thousands of people to safer areas.
The latest disaster in the Himalayan nation comes a month after the tragedy of the Bhotekoshi floods, which so far have claimed more than 1,400 lives and left more than 6,000 people missing. (ANI)
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