SRINAGAR: At least 10 Nepali climbers and guides have been reported missing after an avalanche hit the base camp of 7,126-metre Himlung Peak in central Nepal early Sunday, AFP reported, citing an expedition organiser.
Bibhuti Chand Thakur of Himalaya Holidays Trekking said eight members of one expedition team and two from another company were missing. All 10 were Nepali nationals, according to Thakur.
Himlung Peak is located near Nepal’s border with Tibet and the area had experienced several days of heavy snowfall before the avalanche. Two helicopters and a search-and-rescue team have been placed on standby, but poor weather has prevented them from reaching the site, Thakur said.
The incident occurred as rain and snowfall continued across several mountainous districts of Nepal, with authorities also dealing with landslides, floods and damage to roads.
Heavy snowfall on Mount Manaslu earlier this week forced climbers to abandon expeditions, while trekking in the Dhaulagiri range was also suspended.
Ram Krishna Lamichhane, director general of Nepal’s Department of Tourism, said authorities were closely monitoring the situation, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, and mountaineering and trekking are significant sources of revenue for the largely rural country. The government has issued more than 500 permits for the autumn climbing season, with Mount Manaslu accounting for the largest number.
The avalanche also comes as Nepal continues to recover from devastating flooding on August 26 that killed more than 1,400 people and left more than 6,000 missing.
