4 Dead, 12 Missing in Massive Avalanche in Nepal
At least four people have died after a massive avalanche struck Mount Himlung, a 7,126-metre-high peak in north-central Nepal. Rescue teams recovered two more bodies on Monday, while 12 people remain missing.
The rescue operation began after the avalanche on Sunday buried tents at the mountain’s base camp under thick layers of snow. Taking advantage of a brief improvement in weather conditions, eight experienced mountaineering guides from the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association cleared snow and searched for survivors.
A total of 10 people have been rescued alive following the avalanche. All the victims who died or remain missing are Nepali nationals. They were staying at the base camp while preparing for the autumn mountaineering season, ahead of preparations to receive foreign tourists.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall has triggered floods and landslides in Manang district. According to Nepal’s disaster management authorities, 21 other people have died and five remain missing in different parts of the country between Thursday and Sunday.
Nepal had also witnessed devastating floods in August, which reportedly killed more than 1,400 people and left around 6,000 others missing.
