An avalanche hit the Himlung Himal base camp in western Nepal on Sunday, leaving at least 10 people missing as heavy snowfall and bad weather continue in the country's mountain region.
“The avalanche hit on Sunday morning,” confirmed expedition organiser Mingma Gyalje Sherpa. Two members of his kitchen staff are among those missing from Imagine Nepal Treks, while the others are believed to be from Himalayan Holidays Nepal, according to Expedition Operators Association Nepal (EOAN).
Several climbing and rope-fixing teams had already moved away from the mountains after a weather warning was issued last week. However, some people remained at the base camp when the avalanche struck.
The avalanche followed several days of heavy snowfall, forcing climbers to pull out of their planned autumn expeditions due to the worsening weather conditions.
Bad weather has disrupted roads in several parts of Nepal, forcing the closure of some routes. The Department of Tourism has urged trekkers and climbers to pause their plans and avoid tourism activities until the weather improves.
Himlung Himal is a 7,126-metre mountain in Nepal's Manang district near the Tibet border. It attracts climbers looking for high-altitude experience, but reaching the area can be difficult as helicopter flights require a separate permit.
The latest disruption comes after devastating floods in Rasuwa last month. More than 1,400 people were killed and over 5,000 were reported missing after floods washed away settlements along the Trishuli River. The poor weather has also affected trekking routes, while expeditions to Manaslu and Dhaulagiri have been cancelled or put on hold.
Another deadly mountain accident occurred on Pakistan's Broad Peak, where an avalanche hit an international climbing team at around 6,600 metres between Camp 2 and Camp 3.
All 10 members of the team were killed. The victims included Nepalese high-altitude guides Kili Pemba Sherpa, also known as Kilu, Gyalu Sherpa and Nima Sherpa, along with British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, Pur Bahadur Gurung and Nawang Thindu Sherpa.
Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy, Chinese climber Wang Zhong, Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi and American climber Mallory Geis were also among those killed.
The remains of Kili Pemba, Gyalu and Nima were later brought back to Nepal on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha. Broad Peak is 8,051 metres high and is the world's 12th-highest mountain.
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