At least 10 local climbers and support staff have gone missing after a powerful avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal in central Nepal’s Manang district early Sunday.
The 7,126-metre (23,345-foot) peak, situated near the border with Tibet, had been battered by several days of heavy snowfall driven by an active weather system over the Bay of Bengal.
Expedition organisers confirmed that the missing individuals include personnel from Himalayan Holidays Nepal and Imagine Nepal Pvt Ltd. While many climbing teams had heeded earlier safety warnings to evacuate the slopes, some support staff and crew members reluctantly remained behind to manage base camp operations.
Rescue Efforts Halted by Mother Nature
Emergency response teams, including standby helicopters and specialised mountain rescue squads, have been grounded. Persistent heavy snowfall, poor visibility, and hazardous conditions have made immediate aerial or ground access impossible. Compounding the logistical hurdles, the remote nature of the region requires special supplementary permits for high-altitude helicopter flights.
Widespread Disruption Across Nepal
The disaster unfolds as Nepal grapples with severe nationwide weather anomalies. Unrelenting heavy rainfall since late last week has triggered destructive landslides, washed away major roads, and isolated multiple communities. Other major mountaineering hubs have not been spared; expeditions on Mount Manaslu have been abruptly called off, and treks across the Dhaulagiri range remain heavily paused.
This fresh emergency deals another severe blow to Nepal’s vital tourism sector, arriving just weeks after the country began recovering from a catastrophic, tsunami-like flood in late August that claimed over 1,400 lives. As authorities monitor the evolving situation, families and the mountaineering community anxiously await a break in the weather to resume search and rescue operations.
