Avalanche kills 15 workers in Nepal preparing Himalayas mountain camp for climbers
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Rescue workers searching for survivors in Nepal on Sept 27, after an avalanche buried the base camp of the Himlung Himal mountain.
PHOTO: SOCIAL MEDIA VIA REUTERS
- An avalanche in central Nepal killed at least 15 Nepali workers preparing the Himlung Himal base camp for climbers, with one person still missing.
- The avalanche buried the camp where workers were setting up tents and fixing ropes; rescuers recovered 15 bodies and plan to airlift them to Kathmandu.
- Climate change is increasing glacier melting, making mountain work more dangerous for guides, porters, and staff supporting Nepal's climbing tourism industry.
AI generated
KATHMANDU - At least 15 Nepali workers were killed when an avalanche buried a mountain camp they were preparing in central Nepal for foreign climbers, a rescue official said on Oct 1, in the deadliest incident of the Autumn climbing season ending this month.
The avalanche buried the base camp of the 7,126m Himlung Himal mountain, in the northern Manang district, over the weekend, where the Nepali workers were pitching tents and fixing ropes. One remains missing.
Rescuers have so far recovered 15 bodies from the site, said Tul Singh Gurung, president of Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA).
Eight bodies were recovered from under the snow on Oct 1. while the other seven were retrieved earlier this week.
“The bodies that were recovered today are expected to be brought by a helicopter to Kathmandu,” Gurung told Reuters.
He said chances of finding the one missing worker were dim, and the rescue operation is likely to wind up.
The foreign climbers had not reached the site at the time of the avalanche.
Rescue workers searching for survivors on Sept 28.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Each year, thousands of visitors flock to Nepal to visit or climb its mountains, creating work for tens of thousands of people as guides, porters and other staff, as well as in tourism-related jobs.
However, as climate change accelerates melting of glaciers and ice, the work is becoming increasingly perilous. REUTERS