10 missing after avalanche hits Nepal's Himlung base camp
KATHMANDU: At least 10 local climbers and guides are missing after an avalanche hit the base camp of Himlung peak in central Nepal early Sunday, an expedition organiser said.
At least ten climbers and guides are reported missing after an avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung peak in central Nepal early on Sunday, according to an expedition organizer. Nepal, already grappling with a disastrous tsunami-like flood on August 26 that claimed over 1,400 lives and left around 6,000 people missing, found itself facing another natural disaster.
The Himlung peak, standing at 7,126 meters tall near the border with Tibet, had experienced a series of heavy snowfalls prior to the incident. Two helicopters and a search and rescue team were on standby but were unable to commence their operations due to unfavorable weather conditions, as reported by Bibhuti Chand Thakur of Himalaya Holidays Trekking to AFP.
Eight members of the expedition team and two members from another company have been declared missing, all of whom are Nepali nationals. Nepal is home to eight of the world's fourteen highest peaks, attracting a significant number of foreign climbers, which constitutes a substantial portion of income for this largely rural nation.
The country has issued more than 500 climbing permits for the autumn season, with the eighth-highest mountain, Manaslu, being the primary contributor. Heavy snowfall on Manaslu this week led to the cancellation of expeditions and the suspension of treks in the Dhaulagiri mountain range. Furthermore, heavy rainfall that began on Thursday has resulted in the destruction of roads and triggered numerous landslides across parts of Nepal.
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