Nepal: Ten climbers missing after avalanche hits Himalayan base camp

At least 10 Nepali climbers who were preparing to lead an expedition are missing after an avalanche hit a base camp in the Himalayas on Sunday.

The climb’s organisers said the local guides were at a staging point close to the Himlung Himal peak in Manang district when the avalanche struck on Sunday morning.

Forecasts showed there was heavy snowfall around the 7,126 metre (23,380ft) peak in recent days, which lies on Nepal’s border with Tibet.

Poor weather has hampered rescue efforts, with helicopters and rescue teams unable to reach the site.

Bibhuti Chand Thakur, of Himalaya Holidays Trekking, told AFP news agency: “Eight members of our expedition team and two more from another company have been reported missing.”

The Nepali team had been sent ahead of foreign climbers to prepare the camp, manage the route and fix ropes on the mountain.

Nepal’s mountain districts have seen persistent rain and snow in recent days, creating treacherous conditions for the country’s economically important climbing tourism industry.

Climbers were forced to leave Mount Manaslu, the eighth highest peak in the world, earlier this week due to the rising threat of avalanches.

The latest death of Nepali climbers comes less than two months after six lost their lives on Broad Peak in Pakistan, including renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja.

Extreme weather further south in the neighbouring Indian region of Uttar Pradesh has killed more than 50 people, officials there said.

It comes as efforts to recover bodies continues on the Nepal-Tibet border, where more than 6,000 people are still missing after a massive flood and landslide in August.

More than 1,400 people are confirmed to have died after a glacial collapse in the Himalayas sent vast quantities of water and debris careering down the Trishuli River valley, sweeping away settlements.