Avalanche Kills 15 Nepali Workers Preparing Himalayan Mountain Camp

An avalanche killed at least 15 Nepali workers when it buried a mountain camp they were preparing in central Nepal for foreign climbers.

The incident occurred over the weekend at the base camp of the 7,126-meter (23,379-foot) Himlung Himal mountain in the northern Manang district. The workers were pitching tents and fixing ropes. Rescuers recovered eight bodies on Thursday, bringing the total to 15, with one person still missing. Tul Singh Gurung, president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA), stated that the chances of finding the missing worker were dim and the rescue operation is likely to conclude.

The bodies recovered on Thursday are expected to be brought by helicopter to Kathmandu. Seven bodies had been retrieved earlier in the week. The foreign climbers had not reached the site at the time of the avalanche. A team of eleven rescuers, including experienced guides, dug through more than four meters of snow at the base camp.

The bodies of two mountain guides were recovered on Sunday, and two kitchen staff on Monday, followed by three more bodies on Tuesday. The avalanche struck at an altitude of around 5,200 meters in Narphabhumi Rural Municipality-5 on September 27. This incident marks the deadliest of the Autumn climbing season, which ends this month. Thousands of visitors flock to Nepal annually to visit or climb its mountains, creating work for tens of thousands of people as guides, porters, and other staff. Climate change is accelerating the melting of glaciers and ice, making such work increasingly perilous.