Nepal rescuers recover eight bodies after Himalayan avalanche

KATHMANDU: On Thursday, rescuers recovered an additional eight bodies from the area of a Himalayan avalanche that had initially killed 16 expedition workers, marking one of the worst mountain disasters in recent years. The avalanche struck the base camp of the Himlung peak, located near the Chinese border, early on Sunday while Nepali workers were preparing for subsequent expeditions on the mountain.

President of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, Tul Singh Gurung, confirmed the recovery of eight bodies today, bringing the total death toll to 15, with one person still unaccounted for. He expressed optimism that the last missing individual will be found as well.

A team of eleven rescuers, comprising experienced guides, had been at the scene, working through over four meters of snow that had buried tents at the base camp. The bodies of two mountain guides were recovered on Sunday, followed by those of two kitchen staff members on Monday and another three bodies on Tuesday. Nepal has experienced its worst mountaineering disasters in recent years in 2014, when an avalanche claimed 16 lives on Everest, and in 2015, when an earthquake took 18 lives on the same peak.

Authorities continue to search for bodies from a devastating flood triggered by a mountain glacial collapse on August 26, which resulted in over 1,400 deaths and left more than 5,000 people missing. Recent heavy rain has led to additional floods and landslides, claiming at least 21 more lives, according to the national disaster agency.

Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 highest peaks, heavily relies on mountaineering and trekking tourism. The Himlung peak, where the avalanche occurred on Sunday, is a favored destination for mountaineers preparing to tackle 7,000-meter peaks.