MANANG DISTRICT — An avalanche struck Mount Himlung in Nepal on Sunday, killing at least two people and leaving twelve missing. The disaster occurred as continuous rainfall and heavy snowfall affected the country's high mountain regions.

Local guides were at a staging point close to the Himlung Himal peak in Manang district when the avalanche struck on Sunday morning. Ten survivors were rescued from the mountain by helicopter, while poor weather hampered further rescue efforts by preventing helicopters and rescue teams from reaching the site.

All individuals killed or missing in the avalanche were Nepali nationals. Twelve people out of a group of 22 (nine mountaineers and 13 support staff) who had gone for the expedition are suspected to be missing as a result of the avalanche on Mt Himlung in Narpa Bhumi Rural Municipality-5, Manang, according to Chief District Officer Mukti Prasad Khanal. The search was expected to resume at first light Monday, he said.

Sherpas and kitchen staff were fixing ropes and setting up tents at the Himlung Himal base camp for a group from the United Arab Emirates set to arrive on October 1. The Nepali team had been sent ahead of foreign climbers to prepare the camp, manage the route, and fix ropes on the mountain. The team of Sherpas, kitchen staff, and general crew reached the base camp safely on September 18.

Mingma Gyalje Sherpa is the owner of a company running an expedition on Mount Himlung. Two of Mingma Gyalje Sherpa's kitchen staff are among the missing. Eight members of one expedition team and two from another company have been reported missing. Barun Bhandari is the general manager of Himalayan Holidays.

The avalanche struck with continuous rainfall and heavy snowfall affecting Nepal's high mountain regions, with initial reports suggesting 10 people were missing, but updated information from the National Nature Conservation and Mountain Guide Association later increased the number to 16, including the two guides who have now been confirmed dead. Authorities had warned of severe weather across Nepal over the weekend preceding the avalanche. Rain has fallen across Nepal since Thursday, with snowfall in northern mountain regions. Forecasts showed heavy snowfall around the 7,126-meter peak in recent days.

In the past five years, 23 people have been reported missing or killed in avalanches in the Himalayan region of Nepal, according to the Nepal Red Cross Society. Climbers were forced to leave Mount Manaslu earlier in the week due to the rising threat of avalanches.

Why It Matters

The incident shows the ongoing risks in Nepal's high-altitude regions, where weather conditions can change rapidly. The confirmation that all victims were Nepali nationals reflects the reliance on local support staff for international expeditions. The disruption to power supplies in multiple districts and damage to hydropower infrastructure demonstrates the broader impact of severe weather events on the country's infrastructure.

Authorities in Nepal warned of possible flash floods in 49 of the country’s 77 districts. Power supplies were disrupted in the Manang, Mustang, Myagdi, and Baglung districts of Nepal. Flooding of the Rahuganga River damaged the structure and transmission-line towers of a 40-megawatt hydropower project in Nepal.

Biraj Bhakta Shrestha is the Water Resources and Energy Minister of Nepal. Shanti Mahat is a spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority in Nepal.

Timeline

Flooding in Nepal in August resulted in more than 1,400 deaths and nearly 6,000 missing persons. A glacial collapse in the Himalayas sent water and debris down the Trishuli River valley, sweeping away settlements.

What's New

The Manang District, where Mount Himlung is located, has recorded 17 avalanche incidents between 2010 and 2025, according to data from the Nepal Ministry of Home Affairs. In 2014, an avalanche on Mount Himlung killed three climbers and injured several others, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority of Nepal. Mount Himlung has experienced at least two previous avalanches in the past decade, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology of Nepal.

At least 10 Nepali climbers preparing to lead an expedition are missing after an avalanche hit a base camp in the Himalayas on Sunday.

How Sources Differ

The Nepal Ministry of Home Affairs stated that the Manang District, where Mount Himlung is located, has recorded 17 avalanche incidents between 2010 and 2025. Geographic survey data described Mount Himlung as a 7,126-meter (23,380-foot) peak located in north central Nepal. At least 10 Nepali climbers preparing to lead an expedition are missing after an avalanche hit a base camp in the Himalayas on Sunday, according to a statement from Himalayan Holidays Trekking. Another report from Himalayan Holidays indicated that at least six people are missing in Nepal after an avalanche hit base camp at a remote mountain where climbers and support staff were preparing for an expedition.