Ten missing after avalanche strikes Himlung Himal base camp
Expedition members are feared buried in their tents after a massive avalanche struck the mountain’s base camp
PC: Abiral Rai
Ten expedition members are missing after an avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal in western Nepal, according to expedition organisers.
Many climbers had descended to safer ground after warnings of worsening conditions, but some high-altitude workers and climbers remained at the camp.
Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, the renowned climber known as Mingma G, said two members of his kitchen staff were among those missing.
“I repeatedly asked them to leave the camp from the day before yesterday, but they wanted to remain there,” Mingma G told Everest Chronicle from Samagaon. “They came down briefly and then went back to base camp. They were swept away by the avalanche on Sunday morning.”
The team had been preparing to fix the climbing ropes for the autumn season. Mingma G has been coordinating the expedition from Samagaon after heavy snowfall disrupted mountaineering operations in the region.
Members of a Himalayan Holiday expedition are also reported to be missing.
“I am waiting for details about the incident,” Bibhuti Chand Thakur, founder of Himalayan Holidays, told Everest Chronicle.
Abiral Rai, an IFMGA mountain guide stranded in Samagaon, said members of the Nepal National Mountain Guides Association were standing by to assist with a rescue.
“There are a lot of bureaucratic hurdles to obtaining permission for rescue flights in the region,” Rai said.
Himlung Himal (7,126 m), in Manang district, requires an additional permit for helicopter flights, adding to the difficulties of reaching the mountain.
The 7,126-metre peak is a popular objective for climbers gaining experience at high altitude.
The incident comes as a weather system over the Bay of Bengal brings heavy snowfall to the mountains and persistent rain to the hills and plains. Rain and snow have affected
Nepal since Friday, disrupting roads and prompting local authorities to close several sections to traffic.
Tourism authorities have urged trekkers and climbers to suspend activities as conditions deteriorate. The Department of Tourism has also issued an alert advising that tourism activities be put on hold.
The weather disruption follows last month’s devastating floods in Rasuwa, which killed more than 1,400 people and left more than 5,000 missing. The disaster washed away settlements along the Trishuli river and dealt another blow to Nepal’s tourism industry.
Persistent rain and snowfall have since disrupted several trekking routes and forced the cancellation or suspension of major expeditions on Manaslu and Dhaulagiri.
