Ten climbers missing after avalanche hits Himalayan base camp

What the report says

At least 10 Nepali climbers are missing after an avalanche struck a Himalayan base camp near Himlung Himal in Nepal’s Manang district, according to BBC World News. The team had been preparing the route for overseas climbers and was stationed at a staging point when the avalanche hit on Sunday morning.

The BBC said the missing climbers were part of a local support group sent ahead to set up the expedition, manage the mountain route and fix ropes for foreign mountaineers. One expedition organiser, Himalaya Holidays Trekking, said eight people from its team and two from another company were unaccounted for. The peak stands at 7,126 metres and sits near Nepal’s border with Tibet.

Rescue efforts have been slowed by heavy snowfall and poor weather, with helicopters and ground teams unable to reach the site. The report also noted that recent rain and snow have made conditions dangerous across Nepal’s mountain districts, disrupting the climbing season and forcing some expeditions on other peaks to turn back.

More broadly, the incident highlights the risks faced by Nepali guides and support crews who work behind the scenes in the country’s mountaineering industry, which is an important source of tourism income. The avalanche comes amid a period of severe weather and other deadly mountain disasters in the wider Himalaya region.