Avalanche in Nepal Kills at Least Two, Sweeps Away 12
Rescue efforts are underway for a dozen individuals missing after an avalanche struck Mount Himlung amid severe weather.
Rescue teams on Monday searched for a dozen people who went missing after being swept away by an avalanche that killed at least two others on Mount Himlung in Nepal. The avalanche occurred Sunday during severe weather conditions.
Ten individuals were rescued from the 7,126-meter (23,380-foot) peak, located in north-central Nepal. All those killed or missing were Nepali nationals. The avalanche struck as the group was at a base camp, preparing for foreign clients to arrive for the Autumn climbing season.
Helicopters transported the 10 rescued individuals. The bodies of the two deceased were airlifted to Kathmandu airport on Monday and taken to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
Over the weekend, the Manang district, where Mount Himlung is situated, experienced flooding and landslides attributed to heavy rainfall, according to the district administration office. The avalanche comes as the Nepalese government has issued nationwide warnings for severe weather.
Nepal's disaster management agency reported that 21 other people have died and five more are missing in separate incidents across the country between Thursday and Sunday. The nation is still recovering from devastating floods in August that resulted in over 1,400 deaths and nearly 6,000 missing individuals.