Nepal rescuers recover eight bodies after Himalayan avalanche

KATHMANDU: Rescuers recovered eight more bodies on Thursday (Oct 1) from the area of a Himalayan avalanche that buried 16 expedition workers, in one of the worst mountain disasters in recent years.

The avalanche swept through the base camp of the 7,126m Himlung peak early on Sunday, as Nepali workers were preparing for later expeditions on the mountain located near the Chinese border.

"The team have found eight bodies today," said Tul Singh Gurung, president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, taking the total to 15, with one person still missing.

"We are hopeful the last person will be found too," he added.

A team of eleven rescuers, including experienced guides, were at the site, digging through more than 4m of snow which had buried tents at the base camp.

The bodies of two mountain guides were recovered on Sunday, and those of two kitchen staff were pulled out on Monday, followed by another three bodies on Tuesday.

Nepal's worst mountaineering disasters in recent years occurred in 2014, when an avalanche killed 16 people on Everest, and in 2015, when an earthquake killed 18 people, also on Everest.

Authorities are still searching for bodies from devastating floods sparked by a mountain glacial collapse on Aug 26 that killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing.

Heavy rain since Thursday has triggered more floods and landslides, killing at least 21 people, according to the national disaster agency.

Home to eight of the world's 14 highest peaks, Nepal relies heavily on mountaineering and trekking tourism.

Himlung, where Sunday's avalanche occurred, is a popular destination for mountaineers looking to begin climbing 7,000-metre peaks.