12 missing after avalanche strikes Himlung Himal peak in Nepal

PTI, September 27, 2026, Kathmandu, Nepal : Twelve persons, including climbers, went missing on Sunday after an avalanche struck the Himlung Himal peak in Nepal's Manang district, police said. 

The avalanche at the base camp of the 7,126-metre Himlung Himal peak in the Nar Phu area buried a tent where nine climbers and 13 support staff were taking shelter. 

Around a dozen people are missing after the incident, said Deputy Superintendent of Police of the Armed Police Force Shailendra Thapa. Some human casualties are also feared in the incident, Thapa said, highlighting that all those missing are Nepali nationals. 

A helicopter has been dispatched to the incident site for a rescue operation, and further information is awaited, he said.

The missing belong to Himalayan Holidays Nepal (HHN) and Imagine Nepal Treks, who lost contact with their people after the avalanche struck, according to an official at HHN.

"One of the expedition members telephoned and informed that their friends have gone missing after the avalanche hit the base camp," the official said.

According to the official, the expedition member said they got scattered after the incident and there is no information about others.

Ram Krishna Lamichhane, director general of the Department of Tourism, said authorities were closely monitoring the situation, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.

The incident comes amid continuous rain and snowfall in Nepal's mountain districts, triggering landslides and floods.