KATHMANDU: At least two people have been killed, and 14 others remain missing after an avalanche buried an expedition camp at the base of Nepal’s 7,126-metre Himlung peak near the Chinese border, officials said on Monday.
The avalanche struck early on Sunday, burying tents under deep snow. Rescue teams recovered two bodies while continuing to search for the missing expedition workers.
The avalanche hit the base camp of the 7,126-metre (23,345-foot) Himlung Peak, near Nepal’s border with Tibet.
“Two bodies were found as rescuers worked until 6:00 pm last night,” Tul Singh Gurung, president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, said.
“The search continues for 14 expedition workers who are still missing.”
A team of eight mountain guides is taking part in the rescue operation, Gurung said.
The area had experienced several days of heavy snowfall before the avalanche, raising concerns over difficult conditions in the mountain region.
Unbelievable footage from Nepal shows a mountainside collapsing within seconds amid torrential rains.
Multiple landslides and floods have claimed lives this week, leaving communities devastated.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this disaster.
#Nepal #NepalFloods… pic.twitter.com/4dbc8FUrLy— Sajjad Tarakzai (@SajjadTarakzai) September 28, 2026
According to Bibhuti Chand Thakur of Himalaya Holidays Trekking, two helicopters and a search-and-rescue team were on standby to assist with the operation. However, adverse weather conditions had so far prevented them from reaching the site.
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Difficult Conditions
Mountaineer Mingma G Sherpa, who is leading the rescue team, said difficult weather conditions were hampering the search.
“We could have saved lives, but due to bad weather, we reached the accident site only in the evening (on Sunday),” he said in a Facebook post.
Sherpa said both people killed in the avalanche were guides, while the 14 missing people were kitchen staff working at the expedition camp.
Organisers had initially reported that at least 10 people were missing.
Authorities and expedition teams face challenging conditions as they await improved weather that would allow rescue operations to begin. The number of casualties, if any, could not immediately be confirmed.
Latest Disaster
The incident comes during Nepal’s autumn climbing season, when mountaineers and expedition teams travel to the country’s Himalayan peaks. Heavy snowfall and avalanches can pose significant risks to climbers and support staff operating at high altitudes.
The avalanche is the latest disaster to hit Nepal in recent weeks.
The Himalayan nation is still recovering from a devastating glacial flood on August 26 that killed more than 1,400 people and left more than 6,000 missing.
Heavy rain since Thursday has also triggered floods and landslides, killing at least 21 people, according to the national disaster agency.
Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks and relies heavily on mountaineering and trekking tourism.
