At least 14 Nepali nationals are missing after an avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal in Nepal’s Manang district on Sunday, September 27, with severe weather preventing rescue helicopters from reaching the mountain.
The missing people include Sherpas, kitchen staff and other expedition support workers who had been sent ahead to prepare the camp, clear routes and fix climbing ropes before the arrival of foreign mountaineers. No foreign climbers had yet reached the mountain, according to trekking officials.
Missing Number Rises to 14
Bibhuti Chand Thakur, founder of Himalayan Holidays Trekking, said the team initially reported that eight people could not be contacted. The number later increased to 14 as further communication attempts failed.
According to Thakur, a Sherpa at Himlung contacted the trekking company at around 9:40 a.m. Sunday and requested a helicopter after eight members of the team could no longer be located. A subsequent attempt to establish contact also failed.
The 7,126-metre Himlung Himal is located in the Nar Phu region of Manang, near the Tibetan border.
Bad Weather Hampers Rescue
Private helicopters have been placed on standby in Kathmandu and Pokhara, while authorities are also considering the use of a Nepal Army helicopter. However, poor weather has so far prevented aircraft from reaching the mountain.
Rescue teams have also faced difficulties reaching the site overland because of the conditions. Nepal’s Department of Tourism said it was coordinating with relevant agencies and monitoring the rescue operation.
The latest reports indicate that rescue efforts are now dependent on a temporary improvement in weather conditions that would allow helicopters to reach the base camp.
Heavy Snowfall and Rain
The avalanche followed several days of heavy snowfall and adverse weather in Nepal’s mountainous areas. Authorities had urged climbers and trekkers to suspend activities as conditions deteriorated.
Other mountaineering expeditions have also been affected. Heavy snowfall forced teams on Manaslu to withdraw, while expeditions in the Dhaulagiri region were also suspended.
The Himlung incident comes as Nepal faces broader weather-related disruptions, with heavy rain and snowfall affecting several parts of the country. Rescue officials are now focused on locating the missing workers as soon as conditions permit.
