Avalanche at Himlung Himal Base Camp in Nepal Leaves 14 Dead, 10 Missing - Republic World

Kathmandu: At least 10 people have gone missing after an avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal in western Nepal, bordering Tibet, expedition organisers confirmed on Sunday. Expedition organiser Mingma Gyalje Sherpa confirmed that two of his kitchen staff were among those missing after the avalanche. “The avalanche hit on Sunday morning,” he said.

Relentless rainfall since Thursday has killed at least 14 people all across Nepal, with inundation, flooding and landslides reported from all across the nation, prompting alerts and warnings.

According to Sherpa, expedition teams and rope-fixing teams had evacuated the mountain slopes following a weather warning issued last week, while some people reluctantly stayed back. The mountain region had witnessed heavy snowfall for several days, forcing climbers to retreat from the autumn ascent of the mountain. Those missing in Sunday's avalanche are from different expedition companies.

Himlung Himal, standing at 7,126 metres in Manang district, requires an additional permit for helicopter flights, adding to the difficulties involved in reaching the mountain. The 7,126-metre peak is a popular objective for climbers seeking experience at high altitude. The incident comes as a weather system over the Bay of Bengal brings heavy snowfall to the mountains and persistent rainfall to Nepal's hills and plains. Rain and snowfall have affected several parts of the country.

Nepal has been witnessing adverse weather conditions since Friday, disrupting roads and prompting local authorities to close several sections to traffic. Tourism authorities have urged trekkers and climbers to suspend activities as weather conditions deteriorate. The Department of Tourism has also issued an alert advising that tourism activities be put on hold.

The weather disruption follows last month's devastating floods in Rasuwa, which killed more than 1,400 people and left more than 5,000 missing. The disaster washed away settlements along the Trishuli River and dealt another blow to Nepal's tourism industry. Persistent rainfall and snowfall have since disrupted several trekking routes and forced the cancellation or suspension of major expeditions on Manaslu and Dhaulagiri.

Earlier, in August, after a massive avalanche swept them off Pakistan's Broad Peak, the remains of three of Nepal's most decorated high-altitude guides and climbers returned home to grieving families. The climbers identified as Kili Pemba Sherpa, also widely known as Kilu, along with Gyalu Sherpa and Nima Sherpa, had arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Doha.

The three guides were among 10 climbers killed when an avalanche struck around 9:30 am on July 30 as the group climbed between Camp 2 and Camp 3, roughly 6,600 meters up the 8,051-meter peak, the world's 12th-highest mountain, in Pakistan's Karakoram range. The entire 10-person international team perished, including British-Nepali climbing star Nirmal Purja, also known as Nimsdai; Pur Bahadur Gurung; Nawang Thindu Sherpa; Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy; Chinese climber Wang Zhong; Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi; and American climber Mallory Geis.

On Sunday morning, authorities issued a warning for all the residents living along the Narayani River in Central Nepal after it crossed the warning level of 9 meters and entered the settlements. Highways leading to Chitwan, which serves as the juncture to travel across the nation, also remain blocked, with landslides reported in multiple locations.

At least 6 people were dead from Thursday in the rain-induced disaster till Saturday evening, as per the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA), while four additional people were dead on Sunday morning in a landslide incident in Myagdi District.

“In Annapurna Village Council, four people have been confirmed dead in a landslide,” Bharat Kumar Pun, the Chairperson of the Village Council, confirmed to ANI over the phone. As per the official, landslides at multiple locations have hindered the search and rescue operation, while the condition has been deteriorating with the continuous downpour.

Similarly, a landslide in adjoining Baglung District has also killed four additional people, a local official confirmed to ANI. “In Nishikhola Village Council of Baglung District, four people have died after being buried in a landslide. The incident occurred this morning in Ward Number 3, Hardra,” Prem Bahadur Gharti Magar, the Deputy Chairperson of the Village Council, told ANI over the phone.

The Kaligandaki River flowing through the district has also swept away houses and bridges, disconnecting road connectivity. Security forces have been carrying out evacuations in multiple districts following the inundation and risk of floods, moving thousands of people to safer grounds. The latest disaster in the Himalayan Nation comes a month after the tragedy of the Bhotekoshi Floods, which so far have claimed over 1400 lives and left over 6000 missing.

The flood struck riverside settlements in Rasuwa district on the morning of Aug. 26 (Bhadra 10, 2083), rapidly affecting neighbouring areas including Nuwakot and Dhading.  Infrastructure losses underscore the scale of the event. Eight operating hydropower projects (281 MW) and four under construction (388 MW) were damaged, disrupting 431.1 MW of generation capacity. 

Major sections of the Galchhi–Betrawati–Rasuwagadhi road and the Prithvi Highway were destroyed or heavily damaged, along with 48 suspension bridges and 31 motorable bridges.