In brief
A sudden avalanche struck the staging area near Himlung Himal in Nepal’s Manang district, leaving ten local climbers missing and raising alarm for the mountainous tourism industry. The climb’s organisers report that the avalanche struck early Sunday as guides prepared for the main expedition. Poor weather and high snow cover hampered helicopter rescues, leaving survival hopes uncertain. The incident follows earlier disasters in the region, including a deadly glacial burst in August and a fatal Broad Peak accident involving famed mountaineer Nirmal Purja.
A sudden avalanche struck the staging area near Himlung Himal in Nepal’s Manang district, leaving at least ten local climbers missing and raising alarm for the mountainous tourism industry.
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 7,126‑metre peak in Manang when the avalanche struck on Sunday morning.
Forecasts had shown heavy snowfall around the Himal near the border with Tibet in recent days, creating treacherous conditions for the area’s climbing community.
Poor weather has hampered rescue efforts, with helicopters and ground teams unable to reach the site. Bibhuti Chand Thakur, of Himalaya Holidays Trekking, has said that eight members of his expedition and two from another company are reported missing.
The Nepali team was sent ahead of foreign climbers to prepare the camp, manage the route and fix ropes on the mountain. Nepal’s mountain districts have seen persistent rain and snow, endangering a key economic sector that depends on winter and summer climbs.
Climbers were forced to abandon Mount Manaslu earlier this week due to the rising threat of avalanches, the eighth‑highest peak in the world. This latest tragedy comes less than two months after six Nepali climbers died on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, including renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja.
The incident underscores the broader climate risks facing the Himalayas, where a massive glacial collapse in August has left more than 6,000 people still missing and over 1,400 confirmed dead in the Treguli River valley.
