Rescue teams are actively searching for twelve individuals who were swept away by an avalanche on a mountain in Nepal, resulting in the deaths of at least two people. Another ten individuals were successfully rescued from Mount Himlung, a 7,126-meter peak in north-central Nepal, following the avalanche that occurred on Sunday. The victims, who were either killed or are currently missing, are all Nepali nationals. The tragic incident took place while they were at a base camp preparing for the arrival of foreign climbers for the autumn climbing season that began this month.
Helicopters were utilized to evacuate the ten individuals who were rescued, while the bodies of the two deceased climbers were airlifted to Kathmandu airport and then transferred to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Family and friends gathered at the hospital morgue but declined to provide any comments.
Over the weekend, flooding and landslides were reported in the Manang district, where the mountain is situated, due to heavy rainfall, as confirmed by the district administration office. The avalanche occurred amidst severe weather warnings issued by the government across the entire Himalayan nation.
According to Nepal’s disaster management agency, a total of 21 individuals have lost their lives, and five more are currently missing in various parts of the country between Thursday and Sunday. This unfortunate event follows the devastating flooding that struck Nepal in August, claiming over 1,400 lives and leaving nearly 6,000 individuals missing in several villages.
The brother of a Nepali climber mourns at a hospital morgue in Kathmandu. All those killed or missing were Nepali nationals.