Six missing in avalanche as severe weather batters Nepal

Ambir Tolang/NurPhoto/Getty Images

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, according to organizers.

Sherpas and kitchen staff were fixing ropes and setting up tents at the Himlung Himal base camp in central Nepal for a group from the United Arab Emirates set to arrive on October 1, when a torrent of snow and rock swept down the mountainside.

It comes just weeks after the catastrophic flooding disaster on the Nepal-China border that was sparked by a huge glacier collapse and landslide, which killed at least 1,300 people and left more than 5,000 missing.

Nepal, which relies heavily on tourism, has been urging international visitors not to cancel their trips despite the devastation.

Sunday’s avalanche comes with severe weather warnings in place for some parts of the Himalayan nation.

The National Trust for Nature Conservation recently suspended entry permits to the Annapurna and Manaslu conservation areas , home to some of Nepal’s most popular trekking routes, from September 24 to 26 due to heavy rainfall.

The Himlung Himal mountain, reaching 7,126 meters (23,000 feet), is part of this region, near the China border.

At least six Nepalis who were at the base camp are missing, according to Barun Bhandari, general manager of Himalayan Holidays, the company organizing the expedition.

“We are very devastated,” he told CNN.

“We heard this morning that six or seven of our crew is missing but we are yet to confirm the exact number.

“This is the first time we have had an avalanche like this in this exact area.

“The ground is very flat at the base camp so we are quite surprised. But you never know, the mountain is unpredictable.”

Renowned climber Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, owner of another company running an expedition on the mountain, told CNN two of his kitchen staff are among the missing.

Bhandari said the company is working with Nepal’s tourism board to confirm the exact number of people missing on the mountain, and is working to send a rescue helicopter to the base camp.

But rainfall remains heavy in the area and lines of communication are limited, due to its remoteness.

The team – Sherpas, kitchen staff and general crew – had reached the base camp safely on September 18 carrying food and climbing equipment, Bhandari said.

“They have been there setting up tents, fixing ropes for the climb, monitoring the conditions on the mountain and setting up the kitchen.”

CNN has contacted the Nepal Tourism Board and local rescue groups for further information.

Ambir Tolang/NurPhoto/Getty Images

据组织者称，尼泊尔一座偏远山区的大本营发生雪崩，登山者和后勤人员正在那里为探险做准备，目前至少有六人失踪。

10 月 1 日，一群来自阿拉伯联合酋长国的游客将在尼泊尔中部的希姆隆喜马拉雅大本营抵达。夏尔巴人和厨房工作人员正在那里架设绳索、搭建帐篷，准备迎接这群游客。这时，一场雪崩和岩石的洪流从山坡上倾泻而下。

就在几周前，尼泊尔和中国边境发生了一场灾难性的洪水灾害，这场灾害是由巨大的冰川崩塌和山体滑坡引发的，造成至少 1300 人死亡，5000 多人失踪。

尼泊尔严重依赖旅游业，尽管遭受重创，该国仍一直敦促国际游客不要取消行程。

周日的雪崩发生之际，喜马拉雅山脉部分地区已发布恶劣天气预警。

由于暴雨，尼泊尔国家自然保护信托基金近日暂停了安纳普尔纳和马纳斯鲁保护区的入境许可，暂停时间为 9 月 24 日至 26 日，这两个保护区是尼泊尔一些最受欢迎的徒步旅行路线的所在地。

喜马拉雅山脉海拔 7126 米（23000 英尺），是该地区的一部分，靠近中国边境。

据组织此次探险活动的喜马拉雅假日公司总经理巴伦·班达里称，至少有六名在大本营的尼泊尔人失踪。

“我们感到非常悲痛，”他告诉 CNN。

“我们今天早上听说有六七名船员失踪了，但我们尚未确认确切人数。

“这是我们第一次在这个地区发生这样的雪崩。”

“大本营的地面非常平坦，所以我们感到很意外。但谁也说不准，山峰变幻莫测。”

著名登山家明玛·嘉杰·夏尔巴（Mingma Gyalje Sherpa）是另一家登山探险公司的老板，他告诉 CNN，他的两名厨房工作人员也在失踪人员之列。

班达里表示，该公司正与尼泊尔旅游局合作，确认山上失踪人员的确切人数，并正在努力派遣救援直升机前往大本营。

但由于地处偏远，该地区降雨量仍然很大，通讯线路也十分有限。

班达里说，这支队伍——夏尔巴人、厨房工作人员和普通船员——于9月18日安全抵达大本营，携带了食物和登山装备。

“他们一直在那里搭建帐篷、固定登山绳索、监测山上的情况并搭建厨房。”

CNN已联系尼泊尔旅游局和当地救援组织以获取更多信息。