Rescue crews recovered the bodies of two members of a Nepali climbing team that had been stationed at the base camp of Himlung Himal, a 7,126 m (23,380 ft) peak on the Nepal‑Tibet border, after a sudden avalanche struck in the early hours of Sunday.
The storm sent a sheet of snow tumbling down the slopes, trapping the team’s tents, and leaving around a dozen people unaccounted for. The climbers – Nepalese nationals, camp managers and support staff – had been deployed beforehand to secure the site for an incoming wave of foreign expedition groups.
Poor visibility and dangerously high winds blocked helicopter approach, forcing the rescue unit arriving from Kathmandu to suspend operations until Monday morning. The well‑trained mountaineers expressed frustration at the thick snow that could take weeks to melt, making further ground searches difficult.
Bibhuti Chand Thakur of Himalaya Holidays Trekking told AFP that at least eight crew members were listed as missing, though the exact number of survivors remains uncertain.
This tragedy follows a string of recent disasters in the region. In August, a massive flood wiped out villages along the Trishuli River valley, killing more than 1,400 residents. The January Typhoon Dujuan, intensified by a powerful El Niño event, devastated parts of Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures.
As the world grapples with the increasing frequency of extreme weather, Nepal’s tourism‑driven climbing sector faces new risks, with many expeditions being cancelled or postponed over avalanche threats.
