Avalanche injures two climbers in Khumbu Icefall
Minor collapse of hanging serac triggers early-morning incident on Everest route
PC: Sensai Pema Waiba
Two climbers were injured Tuesday in an avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall on Mount Everest, officials said.
A hanging serac collapsed early in the morning, triggering a minor avalanche that hit climbers en route to higher camps.
“It was a minor avalanche caused by a small ice block breaking off a few metres below the ladder section, just before reaching Camp I,” said Nivesh Karki, executive director of Pioneer Adventure.
Nepali guide Pemba Thenduk Sherpa, 44, from Shankhuwasabha district, and Indian climber Nimish Kumar Singh, 40, were injured, according to the Department of Tourism.
Climbers and their guides from various expedition agencies had set out from Base Camp for a rotation towards Camp II via the Khumbu Icefall, heading to Camp I. At around 05:45 am, a piece of ice broke off about 20 metres below a large overhanging serac and fell onto the route being used by ascending climbers, the Department said.
Sherpa guides from Pioneer Adventure and Summit Force Expedition carried out an immediate rescue, bringing the injured back to Base Camp. A helicopter evacuation was then coordinated, and at around 06:30am a chopper from Lukla airlifted them to Kathmandu.
They were admitted to HAMS Hospital, where their condition was reported to be non-critical, officials said.
Officials said the main serac remains in place above the route. The path, opened after a two-week delay, was not damaged and may have improved as falling ice filled crevasses and evened sections of the trail, according to Karki.
The route had been opened in coordination with multiple expedition operators after “icefall doctors” initially deemed conditions too risky due to the unstable serac. Work had been delayed in the hope the ice block would melt, but commercial teams proceeded to establish the route.
Nepal has issued 464 climbing permits for Everest this season, along with 111 for Lhotse and 52 for Nuptse. The government has collected more than one billion rupees (around $6.5 million) in royalties from climbers.
This news has been updated
