Avalanche hits Himlung Himal Base Camp in Nepal, at least 10 missing

September 27, 2026

Kathmandu: An avalanche struck the Himlung Himal Base Camp in western Nepal, near the Tibet border, on Sunday. According to expedition organizers, at least 10 people are missing after the accident.

Expedition organizer Mingma Gyalje Sherpa said two of his kitchen staff were among the missing. He said the avalanche occurred on Sunday morning.

Area already evacuated due to bad weather

According to Sherpa, expedition and rope-setting teams had evacuated the mountain slopes following a weather warning issued last week. However, some people remained. The mountainous region had been experiencing heavy snowfall for several days, forcing climbers to withdraw from their autumn climbing expedition.

The missing people are said to be associated with different expedition companies. The 7,126-meter-high Himlung Himal is located in Nepal’s Manang district and is popular with climbers seeking high-altitude mountaineering experience. Helicopter flights require additional permission, which could complicate rescue and relief operations.

Rain and Snowfall Disrupts Life in Nepal

A weather system over the Bay of Bengal has caused continuous rain and heavy snowfall in Nepal’s mountainous regions. Since Friday, inclement weather has disrupted road traffic in many parts of the country, and local authorities have even closed some routes.

Tourism officials have appealed to trekkers and climbers to halt their activities due to the deteriorating weather. The Tourism Department has also issued an alert to suspend tourist activities for the time being.

This incident comes after last month’s devastating floods in Rasuwa, which left over 1,400 people dead and over 5,000 missing. The floods affected several settlements along the Trishuli River and also damaged Nepal’s tourism sector.

Continuous rain and snowfall have disrupted several trekking routes, forcing the cancellation or postponement of major expeditions to Manaslu and Dhaulagiri.

Nepali climbers also killed in an avalanche in Pakistan

Earlier in August, the bodies of three experienced Nepali climbers who died in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan were repatriated. These included Kili Pemba Sherpa (Kilu), Gyalu Sherpa, and Nima Sherpa.

The three were among 10 climbers who died on July 30 when an avalanche struck them between Camp 2 and Camp 3, at an altitude of about 6,600 meters. The accident occurred on the 8,051-meter-high Broad Peak.

All 10 members of the international team were killed in the accident, including British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja (Nimsdai), Pur Bahadur Gurung, Nawang Thindu Sherpa, Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthi, Chinese climber Wang Zhong, Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, and American climber Mallory Geiss.