Nepal avalanche death toll rises to 15 as 8 bodies found on Mount Himlung
Rescuers found eight bodies in tents after digging through thick snow at the mountain's base camp, the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association says.
Rescuers recovered eight bodies from the base camp of Mount Himlung in Nepal on Thursday (1 October), raising the death toll from an avalanche during severe weather Sunday to 15.
The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, which is leading the search operation, said rescuers dug through thick snow at the mountain's base camp and found eight bodies inside tents. One person remains missing.
"Due to continuing mountain hazards, recovery efforts have been temporarily concluded," the association said, adding that the search could resume when weather and mountain conditions improve.
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Experienced mountain guides from the association had been working throughout the week, taking advantage of better weather to clear snow from the base camp.
Rescuers also found 10 other climbers who were part of the group on Mount Himlung, a 7,126-meter (23,380-foot) peak in north-central Nepal.
Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest. The Himlung avalanche is being described as one of the country's deadliest mountaineering disasters.
Hundreds of foreign climbers travel to Nepal each year to attempt to climb some of the world's highest peaks. Many have died while facing severe weather and other dangers in the mountains.
All those killed or still missing in this week's avalanche were Nepali nationals who were preparing for the arrival of foreign climbers during the autumn climbing season, which began this month.
Nepal is also recovering from devastating floods in August that swept away several villages, killing more than 1,400 people and leaving nearly 6,000 missing.
