At least 10 people, including climbers and expedition support staff, are missing after an avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal in Nepal’s Manang district on Sunday, according to expedition officials.

The 7,126-metre Himlung Himal lies in northern Nepal near the Tibetan border and is a popular destination for mountaineers attempting high-altitude climbs.

Rishi Bhandari, general secretary of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal, confirmed the incident.

“Yes, the incident is true,” Bhandari told The Kathmandu Post.

According to him, two of the missing people were associated with Imagine Nepal Pvt Ltd, while eight were linked to Himalayan Holidays Nepal.

RESCUE OPERATION UNDERWAY

Nepal’s Department of Tourism is monitoring the situation and gathering information about the number and identities of those unaccounted for.

Ram Krishna Lamichhane, director general of the Department of Tourism, said officials were working to assess the situation and coordinate efforts to locate and rescue the missing people.

Expedition organiser Mingma Gyalje Sherpa also confirmed that an avalanche struck the area on Sunday morning. He said two members of his kitchen staff were among those missing.

Sherpa said expedition and rope-fixing teams had already moved away from exposed sections of the mountain after receiving a weather warning the previous week. However, some people had remained behind despite the warning.

HEAVY SNOWFALL FORCED CLIMBERS TO RETREAT

The Himlung Himal region had been experiencing heavy snowfall for several days, disrupting autumn mountaineering plans and forcing climbers to retreat from higher sections of the mountain.

The missing individuals are believed to be associated with different expedition operators.

Rescue efforts could face additional challenges because helicopter operations in the Himlung Himal area require a separate permit, according to authorities.

The mountain, which rises to 7,126 metres, is considered a popular high-altitude climbing objective, particularly for mountaineers looking to gain experience before attempting higher peaks.

NEPAL HIT BY WIDESPREAD BAD WEATHER

The avalanche occurred as several parts of Nepal faced deteriorating weather conditions.

A weather system over the Bay of Bengal has brought snowfall to mountainous areas and persistent rain across parts of the hills and plains.

The adverse weather has disrupted road connectivity in several areas since Friday, prompting authorities to close some routes. Tourism officials have also advised trekkers and climbers to suspend activities while conditions remain unstable.

The latest weather-related disruption follows severe flooding in Rasuwa last month. The disaster caused extensive destruction along the Trishuli River and resulted in a major loss of life and large numbers of people reported missing.

Heavy rain and snowfall have subsequently affected trekking routes and disrupted expeditions on several major Himalayan peaks, including Manaslu and Dhaulagiri.

BROAD PEAK AVALANCHE KILLED 10

The Himlung Himal incident comes weeks after a deadly avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak claimed the lives of 10 climbers.

The avalanche struck on July 30 at an altitude of around 6,600 metres, between Camp 2 and Camp 3 on the 8,051-metre Broad Peak in the Karakoram range.

The international climbing team was wiped out in the disaster. Among those killed was renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, popularly known as Nimsdai.

Other victims included Nepalese climbers Pur Bahadur Gurung, Nawang Thindu Sherpa, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa and Nima Sherpa, along with Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy, Chinese climber Wang Zhong, Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi and American climber Mallory Geis.

The remains of three of the Nepalese high-altitude guides were later repatriated to Nepal, where their families received them at Tribhuvan International Airport.

The latest avalanche has once again highlighted the risks faced by climbers and support teams operating in the high Himalayas during periods of severe weather.