Fifteen bodies recovered from Himlung Himal avalanche
Rescuers recover eight bodies in a single day as one high-altitude worker remains unaccounted for
PC: NNMGA
Rescuers have recovered 15 bodies from the site of an avalanche that buried 16 high-altitude workers at the base camp of Himlung Himal in western Nepal, the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association said.
A team of 10 rescuers led by Pasang Kaji Sherpa, an IFMGA-certified mountain guide, recovered eight bodies on Thursday, taking the total to 15. One worker remains unaccounted for.
The 16 workers — 14 kitchen staff and two climbing guides — were buried on September 27 when heavy snow collapsed on the kitchen and dining tents at the base camp. They had been preparing the camp for the start of commercial expeditions.
Twenty-one people from Himalayan Holidays and six from Imagine Nepal were at the camp when the avalanche struck. Seven members of Himalayan Holidays and four of Imagine Nepal survived.
Chheten Lama Bhote, one of the survivors, said those who escaped were slightly farther to the side of the mountain and were not directly beneath the falling snow.
The workers were not swept away by the avalanche. They were buried inside their tents, allowing rescuers to recover the bodies from the camp itself.
The recovered bodies have been identified as Cheebi Bhote, Pasang Bhote, Birendra Gurung, Ghan Shyam Rai, Birkha Dhoj Tamang, Jagat Tamang, Kalam Buda, Lak Kumar Gurung, Ngima Dorje Tamang, Santa Bir Tamang, Suraj Rai, Urkha Dhoj Bohara, Prem Tamang, Kirte Sherpa and Ash Gurung, leaving only Pasang Nuri Sherpa’s body yet to be recovered.
The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association began the search and rescue operation after the avalanche. Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, known as Mingma G, initially led a team of eight IFMGA-certified guides. Four workers were recovered before the operation was suspended for a day because of bad weather.
At the request of the families and Himalayan Holidays, Pasang Kaji Sherpa and Bikram Karki were subsequently mobilised to continue the recovery operation.
This report has been updated to include the names of those whose bodies have been recovered
