An avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal in Nepal, a 7,126-meter (23,380-foot) peak, following days of heavy rain and snowfall. Two mountain guides have been confirmed dead, and at least 14 others remain missing in the remote region near the Tibetan border. Search and rescue operations are underway under challenging conditions.

According to the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, the dead and missing are all kitchen staff and climbing guides from various Nepalese expedition companies who were preparing the base camp for paying customers. "There were a total of 14 kitchen staff members and two climbing guides from different companies who were missing," the association said. "The two climbing guides have been found, but sadly, both were found deceased." The fate of the remaining 14 individuals is still unknown.

Local police reported that at least 22 people were at the base camp when the avalanche hit on Sunday morning. However, conflicting information persists due to the area's remoteness and lack of communication. Bibhuti Chand Thakur, head of trekking company Himalayan Holidays Nepal, told DPA that rescue operations were ongoing. "The chance of survival remains high because of fresh snow," he said, adding that he did not yet have a definitive number of missing or survivors.

Authorities had warned of severe weather across Nepal over the weekend. Rain has affected much of the country since Thursday, with snowfall in higher northern regions. The conditions have disrupted roads and trekking routes, leading authorities to suspend climbing and trekking activities on several mountains.

Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 peaks higher than 8,000 meters, and trekking and mountaineering tourism is vital to the country's economy. This latest avalanche comes as Nepal continues to recover from devastating floods in August that killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing. The nation is still grappling with the aftermath of that disaster.

Source: www.dw.com