An avalanche has reportedly swept through the base camp of Himlung Himal in western Nepal, near the Tibet border, resulting in at least 10 individuals being unaccounted for. Expedition organizers confirmed the incident occurred on Sunday morning. Among the missing are two kitchen staff members from one of the expedition companies, with other missing persons affiliated with various teams operating in the area.
The region has been experiencing severe weather, including heavy snowfall for several days, compelling many climbers to abandon their autumn ascent attempts on the 7,126-meter Himlung Himal peak located in Manang district. A weather warning had been issued last week, advising teams to evacuate the mountain slopes. While many expedition and rope-fixing teams heeded this warning, some individuals chose to remain at the base camp despite the known risks.
Worsening Weather Conditions Across Nepal
The latest avalanche incident coincides with a significant deterioration of weather conditions across Nepal. A robust weather system originating in the Bay of Bengal is responsible for the heavy snowfall in mountainous regions and persistent rainfall across the country's hills and plains. Tourism authorities have strongly advised trekkers and climbers to suspend all activities, with the Department of Tourism issuing an official alert to halt tourism operations.
In the past 24 hours, Chitwan's Madi Kalyanpur recorded the highest rainfall in Nepal, with 222.4 mm. The Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD) reported heavy to very heavy rain across parts of Madhesh, Gandaki, Lumbini, Bagmati, and Sudurpaschim provinces, with lighter rainfall observed in Koshi and Karnali. These adverse conditions, which began on Friday, have already disrupted road networks and forced closures of several sections to traffic.
Impact on Himalayan Expeditions
The continuous rain and snowfall have severely affected numerous trekking routes and led to the cancellation or suspension of major expeditions on other prominent peaks like Manaslu and Dhaulagiri. This period of extreme weather follows devastating floods in Rasuwa last month, which claimed over 1,400 lives and left more than 5,000 missing, washing away settlements along the Trishuli River and further impacting Nepal's vital tourism sector.
The Himlung Himal incident also comes weeks after a separate tragedy on Pakistan's Broad Peak, where an avalanche killed 10 climbers, including three high-altitude guides from Nepal. That August incident saw the remains of Kili Pemba Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa, and Nima Sherpa repatriated to Nepal. The 10-person international team, which included renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, perished in late July while climbing between Camp 2 and Camp 3 on the 8,051-meter peak in the Karakoram range.