The Himlung avalanche has killed at least 15 Nepali expedition workers, with one person still missing, according to Oct. 1 reports citing rescue officials. Eight more bodies were recovered Thursday after the Sept. 27 disaster buried a base camp in Nepal’s Manang district.
Himal Press reported that Manang Assistant Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Paudel confirmed the new total. It replaces the earlier figure of four dead and 12 missing. The remaining worker should still be counted as missing, rather than included in the confirmed death toll.
Himlung avalanche recovery continues
According to The Himalayan Times’ Oct. 1 update, four bodies were found during the first two days and three more Wednesday. Thursday’s recovery brought the total to 15.
The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association said an 11-person team was working at the site. Mountain guides Pasang Kaji Sherpa and Bikram Karki were leading the effort. The association said recovery would continue when weather and safety conditions allowed, with the rescuers’ safety taking priority.
Workers were preparing the camp
The Himlung avalanche victims were expedition support workers, including climbing guides and kitchen staff. Reuters reported that they were setting up tents and routes before foreign climbers arrived. The visiting climbers had not reached the camp when the avalanche struck.
Himlung Himal rises 7,126 meters, or about 23,380 feet, in north-central Nepal. That is the mountain’s summit elevation, not the height of the base camp. The Associated Press’ initial reporting placed the disaster in Manang and described heavy rain and snowfall across the region.
What remains uncertain
The Himlung avalanche recovery figures were current in the reports published Oct. 1. Officials had not yet released verified identities for every newly recovered body. Further updates may change the count or explain the final outcome of the search.
Related coverage: Lifestyles and Special Interests.
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