Avalanche at Himlung Himal leaves expedition workers missing

An avalanche at Himlung Himal in Nepal left expedition workers unaccounted for, while bad weather prevented helicopters and ground teams from reaching the mountain. Expedition organizers and officials reported different early counts, and no final total or rescue outcome was established in the available accounts on Sunday, September 27. Bibhuti Chand Thakur, founder of Himalayan Holidays Trekking, said the number of his company’s team members who could not be contacted rose from eight to 14. He said they were Nepali expedition workers, including Sherpas and support staff, who had gone ahead to prepare the camp and route before foreign clients arrived. Thakur said the clients were expected in five to six days. Other accounts gave lower totals. Rishi Bhandari, general secretary of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal, said 10 people were missing: two affiliated with Imagine Nepal and eight with Himalayan Holidays. Himalayan Holidays general manager Barun Bhandari separately told CNN that six or seven crew members were missing and the precise number had not been confirmed.