Nepal avalanche: Four bodies recovered from Himlung Himal, 12 still missing

Two more bodies were recovered on Monday from the avalanche-hit Himlung Himal peak in Nepal, taking the death toll to four, while 12 people are still missing, officials said.

The avalanche struck the base camp of the 7,126-metre Himlung Himal peak in the Nar Phu area of Manang district on Sunday. A tent where climbers and support staff had taken shelter was buried in the avalanche, leaving several workers and guides missing.

The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA) identified the two bodies recovered on Monday as Birendra Gurung and Ghan Shyam Rai in a social media post.

The bodies of Chhebi Bhote and Pasang Bhote had been recovered on Sunday, the NNMGA said, adding that its search and rescue team was continuing operations at the site.

NNMGA President Tul Singh Gurung said the search would continue on Monday provided weather and mountain conditions were favourable, The Kathmandu Post reported.

“Four bodies have been recovered and identified. Twelve people are still missing, and the search for them is continuing,” Gurung was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

According to the report, a search team led by Mingma G Sherpa of Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition was flown by helicopter from Chame to the Himlung base camp on Monday morning to assist with the rescue operation.

The bodies recovered on Sunday were flown from Chame Hospital to Kathmandu and subsequently taken to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, the report said.

More than two dozen Nepali high-altitude workers and guides from Himalayan Holidays and Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition had travelled from Kathmandu to Himlung around two weeks ago to prepare for the climbing season. They had been working on the climbing route and setting up the base camp.

The avalanche occurred amid continuous rain and snowfall in Nepal's mountain districts on Sunday, with the weather conditions also triggering landslides and floods.

The deaths come as Nepal continues to recover from devastating flash floods in August that swept through several villages, killing more than 1,400 people and leaving nearly 6,000 others missing.  (with inputs from PTI)