An avalanche at Himlung Himal’s base camp in Nepal killed two people; accounts differ on how many remain missing. Police said 10 Nepalese were unaccounted for, while a mountain guides’ association reported 14 kitchen staff missing. Poor weather initially blocked rescue access.
The avalanche struck Sunday morning at the 7,126-metre peak in Manang district, near the Tibet border, burying a tent sheltering nine climbers and 13 support staff. Nepalese guides and support workers had gone ahead of foreign climbers to prepare camp and fix ropes.
Police said 12 people initially went missing and two were later found dead, leaving 10 unaccounted for. The association said the two dead were guides and the search for 14 kitchen staff was continuing. The missing workers were employed by Himalayan Holidays Nepal and Imagine Nepal Treks. Experienced mountaineers were flown in from Kathmandu, and local media said rescue work was expected to continue Monday.
