Avalanche on Mount Himlung Kills Two, 12 Still Missing as Rescue Efforts Continue
Two Nepali nationals were killed and 12 remain missing after an avalanche hit Mount Himlung during severe weather; ten others were rescued.
Rescue teams continued searching on Monday for 12 people still missing after an avalanche struck Mount Himlung in north-central Nepal, killing at least two others, officials said.
The snowslide hit the 7,126-metre (23,380-foot) peak on Sunday while a group was at a base camp preparing for the arrival of foreign clients for the autumn climbing season, which began this month. All those killed or unaccounted for are Nepali nationals.
Helicopters brought 10 survivors down from the mountain. The bodies of the two who died were airlifted to Kathmandu airport on Monday and taken to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Relatives and friends gathered at the hospital morgue but declined to speak to the media.
The avalanche occurred as heavy rainfall triggered flooding and landslides in Manang district, where the mountain is located, according to the district administration office. The government has issued severe weather warnings across the Himalayan nation.
Nepal's disaster management agency reported that 21 other people were killed and five remain missing in various parts of the country between Thursday and Sunday.
The incident comes as Nepal is still recovering from devastating floods in August that swept through several villages, leaving more than 1,400 people dead and nearly 6,000 others missing.