KATHMANDU: At least 10 local climbers and guides are missing after an avalanche hit the base camp of Himlung peak in central Nepal early on Sunday (Sept 27), an expedition organiser said.
The Himalayan country is already reeling from a devastating, tsunami-like flood on Aug 26 that killed more than 1,400 people and left over 6,000 missing.
The 7,126m tall Himlung peak, located near the border with Tibet, had several days of heavy snowfall ahead of the avalanche.
Two helicopters and a search and rescue team are on standby but have not been able to move because of adverse weather, Bibhuti Chand Thakur of Himalaya Holidays Trekking told AFP.
“Eight members of our expedition team and two more from another company have been reported missing,” Thakur said, adding that all those missing are Nepali.
Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks and foreign climbers who flock to its mountains are a major source of revenue for the largely rural country.
Nepal has issued more than 500 permits for the autumn climbing season, with the world’s eighth highest mountain Manaslu accounting for most of them.
Heavy snowfall on Manaslu this week forced climbers to cancel expeditions.
Treks were also paused to the Dhaulagiri mountain range.
Parts of Nepal have also seen heavy rainfall since Sept 24 which has washed away roads and triggered landslides. - AFP
