Two people were killed and 10 others remained missing after an avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal in Nepal’s Manang district on Sunday. The avalanche hit a at the base camp sheltering climbers and support staff at the 7,126-metre peak.The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), through Nepal Police headquarters, confirmed on X that search and rescue personnel had recovered two bodies from the high-altitude camp.Deputy superintendent of police Shailendra Thapa said around 12 people had initially gone missing after the avalanche. Police later said two bodies had been recovered and 12 people remained unaccounted for. All those missing were Nepalese nationals, Thapa said.“A helicopter was dispatched to the incident site for a rescue operation,” Thapa said, according to PTI.The avalanche buried a tent where nine climbers and 13 support staff had been taking shelter, according to officials. The missing people were associated with Himalayan Holidays Nepal (HHN) and Imagine Nepal Treks, an official at HHN said.“One of the expedition members telephoned and informed that their friends have gone missing after the avalanche hit the base camp,” the official said.According to the official, the expedition member said the group members “were scattered after the incident and there is no information about others”.Expedition organiser Mingma Gyalje Sherpa also confirmed that two of his kitchen staff were among those missing. “The avalanche hit on Sunday morning,” Sherpa.He said expedition teams and rope-fixing teams had evacuated the mountain slopes after a weather warning was issued the previous week, although some people had remained at the base camp.Ram Krishna Lamichhane, director general of the Department of Tourism, said authorities were closely monitoring the situation, The Kathmandu Post reported.The incident occurred amid several days of rain and snowfall across Nepal. The Department of Tourism has urged trekkers and climbers to suspend activities as weather conditions deteriorate and has issued an alert advising that tourism activities be put on hold.Heavy rain has also triggered floods and landslides elsewhere in the country. Authorities issued a warning to residents along the Narayani River after water levels crossed the warning mark, while landslides disrupted highways and road links.The NDRRMA said several rain-related incidents had caused deaths in recent days, while local officials reported further fatalities in landslides in Myagdi and Baglung districts.
