At least 15 Nepali workers were killed after an avalanche buried a mountain camp they were preparing for foreign climbers in central Nepal, marking the deadliest incident of the country’s autumn climbing season so far.
The avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal, a 7,126-meter peak in northern Manang district, over the weekend as workers were pitching tents and securing ropes ahead of climbing expeditions.
The workers were preparing the site before the arrival of foreign climbers, who had not yet reached the base camp when the avalanche struck. One worker remained missing as of Thursday, according to rescue officials.
Rescuers recovered eight bodies from beneath the snow on Thursday, bringing the total number of recovered victims to 15. Seven other bodies had been retrieved earlier in the week.
Tul Singh Gurung, president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, said the bodies recovered on Thursday were expected to be transported by helicopter to Kathmandu. He also said the chances of finding the remaining missing worker were considered slim and that the rescue operation was likely to conclude soon.
The avalanche struck during a difficult period for Nepal’s mountain regions, where heavy rain and snowfall have created dangerous conditions for climbers, guides, porters and other support workers.
The Himlung Himal area lies near Nepal’s northern border with China and is among the country’s destinations for mountaineering expeditions. Workers supporting these expeditions often arrive before climbers to establish camps, transport supplies, secure routes and prepare equipment.
The disaster underscores the risks faced by the local workforce that supports Nepal’s climbing industry. Thousands of foreign visitors travel to the country each year to climb or explore its mountains, creating employment for guides, porters, cooks and other workers whose roles are essential to expeditions.
Mountain conditions can change rapidly, with snowfall, avalanches, unstable terrain and extreme weather creating hazards even before climbing teams begin their ascents. Recent severe weather has also disrupted rescue operations in parts of Nepal, making searches more difficult.
The Himlung Himal avalanche is the latest in a series of deadly weather-related incidents affecting Nepal this year. The country has already experienced major floods, landslides and other disasters that have caused significant loss of life and disrupted communities.
The latest tragedy has also renewed attention on the growing environmental risks facing the Himalayas. Experts and mountain officials have increasingly warned that changing weather patterns and accelerated glacier and ice melt can contribute to more unpredictable and hazardous conditions in high-altitude areas.
With one worker still missing and the recovery operation nearing its conclusion, authorities are expected to continue coordinating the retrieval and transport of the victims while assessing conditions around the affected mountain camp.
The disaster has cast a shadow over Nepal’s autumn climbing season, highlighting not only the dangers faced by mountaineers but also the risks endured by the Nepali workers who prepare and support expeditions in some of the world’s most challenging terrain.
