Nepal suspends search after 16 swept away by avalanche
Nepal has suspended search operations for 12 missing workers following a massive avalanche at the base camp of Himlung peak. Officials state that the challenging weather and scale of the disaster make further rescue efforts impossible for the time being.
Why it matters
This incident underscores the extreme risks associated with high-altitude mountaineering and the ongoing vulnerability of Nepal to natural disasters.
KATHMANDU: Dire weather has forced Nepal to suspend search operations after a Himalayan avalanche caused what is feared to be the worst expedition disaster in over a decade, the National Mountain Guide Association said on Tuesday (Sept 29).
Since the avalanche swept through the base camp of the 7,126-metre (23,345-foot) Himlung peak early on Sept 27, four bodies have been recovered while 12 people remain missing.
“The conditions are very challenging,” said Tul Singh Gurung, president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association. “The search has been paused”.
The 12 missing people are all Nepali workers preparing for later expeditions on Himlung, near the Chinese border, a popular destination for mountaineers looking to begin climbing 7,000-metre peaks.
Rescue team leader Mingma G Sherpa said he had little hope of finding the missing alive.
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