Avalanche death toll at Nepal’s Mount Himlung base camp climbs to 15
The death toll from an avalanche that struck the base camp of Mount Himlung in Nepal's Manang district has risen to 15, after search teams recovered eight more bodies on Thursday, Qazinform News Agency cites Xinhua.
According to local officials, two of the recovered victims were transported to the district hospital in Chame, while six others were taken to Phu village.
Krishna Prasad Paudel, assistant chief district officer, said that 15 of the 16 people reported missing following the disaster have now been found. Although personal belongings of the remaining missing person have been recovered, search teams have yet to locate the individual.
The avalanche struck early Sunday morning at the base camp of the 7,126-meter Mount Himlung, where a group of mountain guides and kitchen staff from two expedition companies had been preparing camps and fixing ropes ahead of climbing activities.
Authorities said search and rescue operations will continue on Friday in an effort to locate the last missing person.
Earlier reports noted twenty-one people died and five others remain missing in rain-induced disasters since incessant rain began on Thursday in Nepal, Prime Minister Balendra Shah said on Sunday.