The Himlung Himal avalanche in Nepal’s Manang district has left two people dead and several others unaccounted for after snow swept over a base camp on Sunday morning, according to local authorities.
Around a dozen people are feared missing following the slide that hit the camp below the 7,126 meter peak on Nepal’s border with Tibet. Poor visibility and heavy snowfall around Himlung Himal in recent days have complicated search efforts.
The group at the site consisted of Nepalese climbers and support staff who had been deployed ahead of foreign clients to establish the camp and fix ropes on the mountain. Forecasts had indicated sustained heavy snow near the 23,380 foot summit over recent days.
Rescue operations were initially grounded as helicopters and ground teams could not reach the area due to weather, officials said. A team of experienced mountaineers was flown from Kathmandu when conditions allowed, though local media reported that efforts would likely continue into Monday because of thick snow and persistent bad weather.
Bibhuti Chand Thakur of Himalaya Holidays Trekking said at least eight members of his expedition team were reported missing, while the overall number of people still unaccounted for remained unclear.
Authorities said the Nepalese team had been sent ahead to prepare the camp, manage the route and secure ropes in advance of international climbers expected this season. Persistent rain and snowfall have created hazardous conditions across several mountain districts, raising concerns for Nepal’s climbing tourism sector.
Earlier this week, climbers withdrew from Mount Manaslu, the world’s eighth highest peak, due to a growing avalanche risk. The latest fatalities among Nepalese mountaineers come less than two months after six died on Broad Peak in Pakistan, among them British-Nepalese alpinist Nirmal Purja.
The disaster also unfolds as recovery work continues along the Nepal-Tibet border after catastrophic flooding and landslides in August. More than 1,400 people have been confirmed dead and over 6,000 remain missing after a glacial collapse sent water and debris down the Trishuli River valley, sweeping away communities.
Extreme weather has gripped other parts of Asia in recent days. Officials in India’s Uttar Pradesh reported more than 50 deaths linked to severe conditions.
In Thailand, authorities declared a flood emergency in Bangkok following days of heavy rain and urged residents to stay home or move to higher floors. Japan contended with a deadly typhoon that battered Tokyo and triggered landslides in nearby prefectures, leaving four dead.
Typhoon Dujuan was the latest in a string of Pacific storms that forecasters say have been intensified by a super El Niño pattern of unusually warm sea surface temperatures. For more on the storm’s impact, see Typhoon Dujuan brings flood and landslide warnings in Japan.
Himlung Himal avalanche hampers rescue efforts
Authorities plan to continue aerial and ground searches as weather permits. Local officials caution that the number of missing may change as communications improve and teams reach the site.
Forecasters say the super El Niño pattern of unusually warm sea surface temperatures is likely to keep influencing severe weather across the Pacific. The World Meteorological Organization has warned that extreme events tied to these conditions could persist in the coming months.