Nepal avalanche kills 15 workers at Himlung Himal camp, one still missing
An avalanche at the Himlung Himal base camp in Nepal has killed 15 workers who were preparing for the autumn climbing season. Rescue efforts are concluding with one person still missing.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the extreme risks faced by local support staff in the high-altitude climbing industry, which is a major economic driver in Nepal.
At least 15 Nepali workers were killed after an avalanche buried a mountain camp they were preparing for foreign climbers in central Nepal, making it the deadliest incident of the country’s autumn climbing season, which ends this month.The avalanche struck the base camp of the 7,126-metre Himlung Himal in the northern Manang district over the weekend, burying workers who were pitching tents and fixing ropes ahead of the arrival of foreign climbers.Rescuers have recovered 15 bodies from the site, including eight retrieved from beneath the snow on Thursday and seven recovered earlier in the week, Tul Singh Gurung, president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA), told Reuters.“The bodies that were recovered today are expected to be brought by a helicopter to Kathmandu,” Gurung said.One worker remains missing, although Gurung said the chances of finding the person were dim and the rescue operation was likely to be wound up.Workers…
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