Heavy snowfall halts Himlung avalanche search as 12 remain missing

Heavy snowfall on Tuesday halted efforts to trace 12 people missing after an avalanche at Nepal's Himlung Himal killed four people, an official said.

The avalanche hit the base camp of the 7,126-metre peak on Sunday, burying tents where 16 people, including support staff and mountain guides, had taken shelter. So far, four bodies have been recovered and 12 people, all Nepalese, remain missing.

There was some confusion over the number of people affected in the immediate aftermath. On Monday, Nepal Police had said eight people were missing. Officials had also said 22 people were initially reported missing, but rescuers later established contact with 10 of them. The figures were corrected by the authorities on Tuesday. "Twelve people who were hit by the avalanche are still out of contact," Sovbit Kunwar, administrative officer at Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, said.

Officials said bad weather at the site hampered rescue work on Tuesday. A 14-member rescue team has been deployed to search for the missing workers and guides, who usually provide logistical and other support to climbing expeditions. The team left Kathmandu on Sunday and stayed overnight in Chame before being flown by helicopter to the Himlung base camp on Monday morning, when the search began.

Around two dozen Nepali high-altitude workers and guides from Himalayan Holidays and Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition had travelled from Kathmandu to Himlung Himal about two weeks ago to prepare for the climbing season. They had been working on the climbing route and getting the base camp ready.

The avalanche struck amid continuous rain and snowfall in Nepal's mountain districts, conditions that have also led to landslides and floods. The rescue operation remains suspended because of heavy snowfall, with four deaths confirmed and 12 people still missing.