Avalanche Claims Ten Nepali Climbers at Himalayan Base Camp
By Sean Seddon | 3 minutes ago
At least ten Nepali climbers who were preparing to lead an expedition are missing after an avalanche hit a base camp in the Himalayas on Sunday.
The climb's organisers said the local guides were at a staging point close to the Himlung Himal peak in Manang district when the avalanche struck on Sunday morning.
Forecasts showed there had been heavy snowfall around the 7,126 m (23,380 ft) peak in recent days, which lies on Nepal's border with Tibet.
Poor weather has hampered rescue efforts, with helicopters and rescue teams unable to reach the site.
Bibhuti Chand Thakur of Himalaya Holidays Trekking told AFP news agency: “Eight members of our expedition team and two more from another company have been reported missing.”
The Nepali team had been sent ahead of foreign climbers to prepare the camp, manage the route and fix ropes on the mountain.
Recent rain and snow across Nepal's mountain districts have created treacherous conditions for the country's climbing tourism industry.
Climbers were forced to leave Mount Manaslu, the world’s eighth‑highest peak, earlier this week due to the rising threat of avalanches.
The tragedy comes less than two months after six climbers lost their lives on Broad Peak in Pakistan, including renowned British‑Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja.
Meanwhile, extreme weather in Uttar Pradesh, India, has killed more than 50 people, officials said.
Efforts to recover bodies continue on the Nepal‑Tibet border, where more than 6,000 people remain missing after a massive flood and landslide in August.
A total of 1,400 people have died after a glacial collapse in the Himalayas sent huge amounts of water and debris down the Trishuli River valley, wiping out settlements.
