Kathmandu, Sep 28 (IANS): At least four people have died and 12 are missing following an avalanche that struck the base camp area of Mt. Himlung in Nepal’s western mountainous district of Manang, a senior government official said.
“The bodies of four people have been recovered from the incident site so far,” Mukti Prasad Khanal, chief district officer of Manang, told IANS. “Two recovered bodies have been sent to Kathmandu, while two more have arrived in Chame, the district headquarters of Manang, after being airlifted from the incident site.”
More than two dozen expedition guides and support staff from various expedition companies were believed to have been stationed at the base camp of the 7,126-meter-tall mountain when the avalanche struck the area. They were there to fix ropes and set up tents ahead of the autumn climbing season.
Khanal said that 11 people have made contact following the disaster. He said a total of 27 people were believed to have been residing at the mountain’s base camp when the avalanche struck the area.
Rescue efforts continued from early Monday morning, with helicopters being mobilized to conduct rescue operations at the base camp. Khanal said weather conditions improved markedly, helping rescue efforts following several days of incessant rainfall that caused landslides and flooding in several parts of the country, including Manang.
The incident comes just a month after a catastrophic flooding disaster near the Nepal-China border, triggered by a huge glacier collapse and landslide, killed more than 1,400 people and left more than 5,000 missing.
Tourism is one of Nepal’s key sources of income. Following the Bhotekoshi flooding disaster, the country has been urging tourists to visit Nepal, saying that other parts of the country remain safe.
Earlier, the District Administration Office in Manang had prohibited trekking in several high-altitude areas from Sept. 25 to 27 following forecasts of heavy to very heavy rainfall and snowfall in higher Himalayan areas.
It said the restriction was imposed following a decision by the District Security Committee in view of the potential risk of loss of life due to adverse weather conditions.
Nepal has been experiencing incessant rainfall in several parts of the country since Sept. 24, with water levels in several rivers rising significantly, prompting authorities to advise people living along river corridors to move to higher ground.
Meanwhile, the Nepali Army has been mobilized to blast the dam created by a landslide that is blocking a large portion of the Marshyangdi River in its upper reaches in Manang. Khanal said army personnel have been deployed at the site to prepare for possible blasting of the naturally formed dam following the landslide.
