Avalanche at Himlung Himal kills 2, leaves 14 missing in Nepal

An avalanche struck the base camp of Mount Himlung (7,126 metres) in Nepal's Manang district on Sunday morning, killing at least two people and leaving 14 others missing. The victims were Nepali mountain guides and support staff from expedition companies who were preparing the base camp ahead of the autumn climbing season. Rescue teams recovered two bodies and evacuated 10 survivors by helicopter to a nearby town; the search resumed at first light Monday.

The avalanche occurred after several days of heavy rainfall and snowfall in the region. Poor weather conditions hampered initial rescue efforts, with helicopters grounded and the remote base camp cut off from communication. The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association confirmed that two climbing guides were among those found deceased, while 14 kitchen staff and other support personnel remained unaccounted for. Some reports initially suggested up to 22 people may have been at the site when the disaster struck, though exact numbers remained uncertain due to the remote location and communication difficulties.

Nepal's mountainous districts have faced persistent severe weather in recent days, creating hazardous conditions for the country's climbing tourism sector. The avalanche comes less than two months after six climbers, including renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, died on Broad Peak in Pakistan. The country is also still recovering from devastating floods in August that killed more than 1,400 people and left nearly 6,000 missing across the Nepal-Tibet border region.