An avalanche struck the Himlung Himal peak in the Nepalese Himalayas, resulting in the recovery of two bodies and leaving around a dozen people missing. The incident occurred on Sunday morning at the base camp, where a group of Nepalese climbers and support staff were preparing for the arrival of foreign climbers. Heavy snowfall had been reported in the area, which is situated in the Manang district and reaches an elevation of 7,126 meters (23,380 feet).
Rescue efforts have been complicated by poor weather conditions, preventing helicopters and rescue teams from initially reaching the site. Bibhuti Chand Thakur, a representative from Himalaya Holidays Trekking, reported that at least eight members of his expedition team are among the missing, although the total number of unaccounted climbers remains uncertain. A rescue team composed of experienced mountaineers was dispatched from Kathmandu to assist in the recovery efforts, which are expected to resume on Monday due to ongoing adverse weather.
Nepal's mountain regions have experienced persistent rain and snow, creating hazardous conditions for the climbing tourism sector. Earlier in the week, climbers were forced to abandon their ascent of Mount Manaslu, the eighth highest peak in the world, due to the increasing risk of avalanches.
This incident follows a recent tragedy where six climbers died on Broad Peak in Pakistan, including prominent mountaineer Nirmal Purja. Additionally, recovery efforts continue on the Nepal-Tibet border, where over 6,000 individuals remain missing after a significant flood and landslide in August, which resulted in more than 1,400 confirmed deaths due to a glacial collapse that impacted the Trishuli River valley.
Extreme weather has also affected other regions in Asia, with over 50 fatalities reported in Uttar Pradesh, India, and a flood emergency declared in Bangkok due to heavy rainfall. Typhoon Dujuan recently struck Tokyo, causing landslides that resulted in four deaths. This series of extreme weather events has been attributed to the influence of the "super El Niño," which intensifies storm activity.