Ten Nepali Climbers Missing After Avalanche Hits Himalayan Base Camp
Poor weather is hampering rescue efforts for the local guides preparing a route for foreign climbers on Himlung Himal.
At least 10 Nepali climbers were reported missing Sunday after an avalanche struck a base camp in the Himalayas. The group, comprised of local guides, were preparing for an expedition on Himlung Himal, a peak standing at 7,126 meters (23,380 feet) on Nepal's border with Tibet.
Organizers stated the guides were at a staging point when the avalanche occurred. Heavy snowfall had been forecast for the region in recent days. Rescue efforts, including helicopter and ground teams, have been hindered by the prevailing poor weather conditions.
Bibhuti Chand Thakur of Himalaya Holidays Trekking confirmed that eight members of their expedition team and two from another company are among the missing. The Nepali team had been dispatched ahead of international climbers to establish the base camp, map the route, and secure ropes on the mountain.
This incident highlights the perilous conditions faced by Nepal's crucial climbing tourism industry, which has experienced persistent rain and snow in mountainous districts. Earlier in the week, climbers were compelled to abandon an expedition on Mount Manaslu, the world's eighth-highest peak, due to escalating avalanche risks.
The disappearance of these climbers comes less than two months after six individuals, including renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, died on Broad Peak in Pakistan. In a separate event, extreme weather in the neighboring Indian region of Uttar Pradesh has resulted in over 50 fatalities. Additionally, recovery efforts are ongoing in the Nepal-Tibet border region, where over 6,000 people remain missing following a massive flood and landslide in August. That event, caused by a glacial collapse, resulted in more than 1,400 confirmed deaths as water and debris swept through the Trishuli River valley.