Full Breakdown
Himlung Himal Avalanche Triggers Search for Dozens of Missing Nepalese Workers
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On September 27, 2026, an avalanche swept through the base camp of Himlung Himal, a 7,126-metre peak in Nepal’s Manang district near the Chinese border. The slide buried tents and equipment as Sherpas and kitchen staff prepared the site for foreign climbers. Rescue teams recovered bodies on September 27 and September 28, 2026, and continued searching for the remaining expedition workers.
Background & Context
The disaster occurred amid several days of heavy rain and snowfall that prompted nationwide severe-weather warnings. Nepal’s mountain districts have been grappling with flooding and landslides since the glacial-collapse flood of August 26 that killed more than 1,400 people. Mountaineering tourism, a major economic pillar, has been repeatedly disrupted by the same weather pattern.
Data & Statistics
- Deaths: reports range from two to four fatalities.
- Missing: counts vary between ten, twelve, and fourteen expedition workers.
- Rescued: ten Nepalese nationals were airlifted from the site after the avalanche.
- Weather impact: ongoing heavy rain and snowfall have hampered helicopter access and ground searches.
Official Statements & Responses
Tul Singh Gurung, president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA), said the avalanche was “enormous” and that the search continued for the missing workers.
Mountaineer Mingma G. Sherpa, leading the rescue effort, explained that bad weather delayed arrival at the site until the evening of September 27, limiting early rescue actions.
Barun Bhandari, general manager of Himalayan Holidays, described the base-camp terrain as “very flat” and expressed devastation over the loss of crew members.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) reported that 21 other people were killed and five remained missing in separate incidents across Nepal between Thursday and Sunday.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Media outlets differ on the casualty figures:
- Some sources (e.g., CNN, Al Jazeera) cite four deaths and twelve missing.
- Others (e.g., Straits Times, SCMP) report two deaths and fourteen missing.
- Additional reports (e.g., CBS News, Snowbrains) mention ten rescued and eight still missing.
The discrepancy stems from evolving information as rescue teams accessed the site and from differing counts of kitchen staff versus climbing guides. No single source has confirmed the final tally, and the exact number of people present at the camp when the avalanche struck remains unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The ground is very flat at the base camp so we are quite surprised. But you never know, the mountain is unpredictable.” — Barun Bhandari, general manager of Himalayan Holidays
- “The avalanche hit on Sunday morning,” — Mingma Gyalje Sherpa
- “Search operations are continuing. We could have saved lives on Sunday, but because of the bad weather, we only reached the accident site in the afternoon,” — Mountaineer Mingma G. Sherpa
What’s Next
The NNMGA announced that the search would be paused as of September 29, 2026 due to dangerous weather and deep snow cover. Officials indicated that operations could resume once conditions improve and the snowpack thins, but no specific timeline was provided. Continued monitoring by the Department of Tourism and NDRRMA will guide any further rescue attempts.
