Himlung Himal avalanche kills 2, leaves 12 missing as rescue teams race against time
Two people were killed and 10 others remained missing after an avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal in Nepal’s Manang district on Sunday. The avalanche hit a at the base camp sheltering climbers and support staff at the 7,126-metre peak. Deputy superintendent of police Shailendra Thapa said around 12 people had initially gone missing after the avalanche. Police later said two bodies had been recovered and 12 people remained unaccounted for. The avalanche buried a tent where nine climbers and 13 support staff had been taking shelter, according to officials.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), through Nepal Police headquarters, confirmed on X that search and rescue personnel had recovered two bodies from the high-altitude camp.
All those missing were Nepalese nationals, Thapa said. “A helicopter was dispatched to the incident site for a rescue operation,” Thapa said, according to PTI. The missing people were associated with Himalayan Holidays Nepal (HHN) and Imagine Nepal Treks, an official at HHN said. “One of the expedition members telephoned and informed that their friends have gone missing after the avalanche hit the base camp,” the official said. The expedition member said the group members “were scattered after the incident and there is no information about others”, according to the official.