Avalanche in Nepal results in 2 fatalities and several missing persons

An avalanche has struck the Himlung Himal base camp in Nepal following several days of severe weather. Two guides are confirmed dead, and at least 14 people are reported missing in the remote region. The avalanche occurred at the 7,126-meter (23,380-foot) Himlung Himal after heavy rain and snowfall affected the area. The deceased and missing individuals are all mountain guides and staff from Nepalese expedition companies preparing the base camp for climbers. The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association stated, "There were a total of 14 kitchen staff members and two climbing guides from different companies who were missing. The two climbing guides have been found, but sadly, both were found deceased." Local police reported conflicting information regarding the number of people present at the base camp at the time of the avalanche, stating that at least 22 individuals were there on Sunday morning. Bibhuti Chand Thakur, head of trekking company Himalayan Holidays Nepal, informed news agency DPA that search and rescue operations are ongoing. He noted, "The chance of survival remains high because of fresh snow," but he did not have a definitive count of missing or survivors due to the area's remoteness and communication challenges. Authorities had issued warnings about severe weather across Nepal over the weekend, with rain affecting much of the country since Thursday and snowfall reported in higher northern regions. These conditions have disrupted roads and trekking routes, leading to the suspension of climbing and trekking activities on several mountains. Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 mountains exceeding 8,000 meters, relies heavily on trekking and mountaineering tourism for its economy. This avalanche occurs as Nepal continues to recover from devastating floods in August that resulted in over 1,400 fatalities and left thousands missing.