Daijiworld Media Network - Kathmandu
Kathmandu, Sep 28: At least four people have died and 12 others remain missing after an avalanche struck the base camp of Mt Himlung in Nepal’s western mountainous district of Manang, a senior government official said.
Manang Chief District Officer Mukti Prasad Khanal said four bodies had been recovered from the site so far. Two of the bodies were airlifted to Kathmandu, while the other two were brought to Chame, the district headquarters of Manang.
More than two dozen expedition guides and support staff from different expedition companies were believed to be staying at the base camp of the 7,126-metre-high mountain when the avalanche hit. They had been deployed to fix climbing ropes and prepare tents ahead of the autumn mountaineering season.
Khanal said 11 people had managed to establish contact following the incident, while a total of 27 people were believed to have been at the base camp when the avalanche struck.
Rescue operations began early Monday, with helicopters being mobilised to reach the affected area and search for those missing.
Khanal said improved weather conditions had helped rescue teams carry out operations after several days of incessant rainfall triggered landslides and flooding in different parts of Nepal, including Manang.
The avalanche comes around a month after a major flooding disaster near the Nepal-China border. The disaster, caused by a massive glacier collapse and landslide, reportedly killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing.
Tourism is one of Nepal’s major sources of revenue. Following the Bhotekoshi flooding disaster, authorities have continued to encourage tourists to visit the country, maintaining that several other tourist destinations remain safe.
Earlier, the District Administration Office in Manang had imposed a temporary ban on trekking in several high-altitude areas from September 25 to 27, citing forecasts of heavy to very heavy rainfall and snowfall in the higher Himalayan regions.
The restriction was imposed following a decision of the District Security Committee amid concerns over the possible loss of life due to adverse weather conditions.
Nepal has been witnessing incessant rainfall in several areas since September 24. Rising water levels in a number of rivers have prompted authorities to advise people living along river corridors to move to safer and higher ground.
Meanwhile, the Nepali Army has been deployed to prepare for the possible blasting of a naturally formed dam on the upper reaches of the Marshyangdi River in Manang.
The dam was created after a landslide blocked a large section of the river. Khanal said Army personnel had been deployed at the site to make preparations for controlled blasting, if required.