Kathmandu: The death toll from an avalanche at the base camp of Nepal’s Himlung Himal rose to four on Monday after rescuers recovered two more bodies, while 12 workers and guides remained missing, officials said.
The bodies recovered on Monday were identified as those of Birendra Gurung and Ghan Shyam Rai, according to the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA). The bodies of Chhebi Bhote and Pasang Bhote were recovered on September 27.
The avalanche struck the base camp of the 7,126-metre Himlung Himal in the Nar Phu area of Manang district on Sunday, burying tents where Nepali expedition workers and guides were staying.
A 14-member rescue team led by international mountain guide Mingma G Sherpa reached the base camp by helicopter on Monday and began searching the avalanche-hit area, The Kathmandu Post reported.
The search was being conducted by experienced mountain guides, with operations dependent on weather and mountain conditions. The NNMGA said the team planned to continue searching for several more hours if conditions remained favourable.
The bodies recovered on Sunday were flown from Chame to Kathmandu and taken to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, according to The Kathmandu Post.
The people caught in the avalanche were Nepali members of expedition teams who had travelled ahead to prepare the climbing route and base camp before foreign clients arrived.
According to The Kathmandu Post, the workers included kitchen staff, Sherpa guides and other support personnel. Foreign climbers had not yet reached the mountain when the avalanche struck.
The latest official count differs from some initial reports issued after the avalanche. Early estimates put the number of missing people at 14, but after 2 bodies were recovered on Sunday and 2 more on Monday, officials said 12 people remained unaccounted for.
The incident occurred amid heavy rain and snowfall in Nepal’s mountain districts, conditions that have also complicated rescue operations elsewhere in the country.
The Himlung avalanche comes as Nepal continues to deal with the effects of severe weather and recent disasters. Heavy rainfall has triggered floods and landslides in several parts of the country, while poor weather has repeatedly disrupted rescue and relief operations.
The difficult conditions around Himlung have made access to the remote base camp particularly challenging, with helicopters and specialist mountain teams required to reach the area.