In brief
A deadly avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal in Manang district on Sunday, leaving ten Nepali climbers missing. The cliffside, regularly used by international teams, saw local guides and expedition leaders caught beneath a sudden snow slide. Poor weather and freezing temperatures have grounded rescue helicopters, delaying search efforts. The tragedy follows recent deaths on Broad Peak in Pakistan and floods that have left thousands missing along the Nepal‑Tibet border.
The Himlung Himal, a 7,126‑metre summit on the Nepal‑Tibet border, has been the site of a deadly avalanche on Sunday evening that has thrown the local climbing community into mourning.
At least ten Nepali climbers were preparing to lead an expedition when the snow slab crashed through the staging area near the peak. Eight members of the organising company Himalaya Holidays Trekking and two climbers from a separate guide group have not been found.
Officials said weather forecasts had warned of heavy snowfall in the zone in recent days, a factor that complicated the already‑challenging climb. Poor visibility and freezing temperatures have grounded helicopters and slowed ground rescue teams.
The incident comes just weeks after the loss of six climbers, including famed British‑Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, on Pakistan’s Broad Peak and follows over 50 deaths linked to extreme weather in India’s Uttar Pradesh. Massive glacial floods in August on the Nepal‑Tibet border have left more than 6,000 people missing, and the recent collapse that hit the Trishuli River valley took more than 1,400 lives.
Local authorities and rescue crews have called for enhanced safety measures for the tourism sector, which is a key source of income for the region, and are exploring more robust early‑warning systems for avalanches.
