Avalanche Hits Nepali Team Preparing Himlung Expedition
Monday, September 28, 2026214 words3 minutes280 reads
An avalanche struck a camp on Himlung Himal in Nepal’s Manang district on Sunday morning, during autumn preparations. The 7,126-metre mountain stands in Nar Phu, near the border with Tibet. By Sunday evening, rescuers had reached the site and recovered two bodies, but the victims had not been identified.
The human toll was still uncertain. Early reports said 14 people were unaccounted for, but the count changed as expedition companies tried to contact their teams. Reports differed on whether the two recovered bodies were included in that earlier figure. Poor communications and weather obscured who was missing.
Those at risk were Nepali guides and support workers who had gone ahead of foreign clients. Their tasks included preparing the camp, managing the route and fixing ropes. Kitchen staff also help keep a high-altitude expedition operating. The foreign clients were expected five or six days later.
The disaster followed days of rain and heavy snow across Nepal’s mountains. Such conditions can raise avalanche danger, while low visibility can prevent helicopters from reaching remote sites. Climbers use Himlung to gain high-altitude experience, but its distance and weather make rescue difficult. This shows that local teams take substantial risks while preparing the mountain for visitors. On Sunday evening, searches and efforts to confirm names and numbers were continuing.
