• Source:JND
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Nepal Avalanche News: At least seven people, including several foreign mountaineers, were killed and four others injured after a massive avalanche struck the Yalung Ri peak in northeastern Nepal on Monday morning, police and local media reports said.

The avalanche hit the base camp of the 5,630-metre-tall mountain located in Dolakha district’s Rolwaling Valley, part of Nepal’s Bagmati Province. Authorities said four people are still missing as rescue operations continue in difficult weather conditions.

According to the Kathmandu Post, among the deceased are three American nationals, one Canadian, one Italian, and two Nepali climbers. The victims were part of a 12-member expedition team, including foreign mountaineers and local guides, who were preparing for a summit attempt when the avalanche struck around 9:00 am local time.

District Police Office Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gyan Kumar Mahato confirmed the casualties and said search and rescue efforts are underway. “A rescue helicopter has landed in the Na Gaun area, around five hours’ walk from the Yalung Ri base camp. The operation has been hampered due to adverse weather and heavy snowfall,” DSP Mahato said.

Four Missing, Rescue Teams Struggle Against Weather

Four members of the climbing team remain unaccounted for. Rescue officials said visibility in the region is poor and that unstable snow conditions are making it difficult to locate those missing. “We have deployed additional rescue personnel and local guides in coordination with the Nepal Army and Air Rescue teams,” Mahato added. The injured, including Nepali guides, were airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment. Local reports suggest their condition is stable.

Officials said to the Kathmandu Post the climbers had set out for acclimatisation a few hours before the avalanche. “It was a sudden wall of snow and ice. The team had little time to react,” a local trekking coordinator told Nepali media.

Cyclone-Triggered Snowfall Blamed For Avalanche

Cyclone Montha, which swept across the region last week, has been blamed for triggering heavy rain and fresh snowfall across the Himalayas. Meteorologists believe the unstable snowpack from the storm likely caused the avalanche.

The incident has raised fresh concerns about the safety of mountaineering expeditions during the late autumn climbing season, as unseasonal weather patterns increasingly disrupt Nepal’s trekking routes.

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In a separate incident, rescue efforts are ongoing to locate two Italian climbers—Stefano Farronato and Alessandro Caputo—who went missing while attempting to scale Panbari mountain in western Nepal. Their teammate, 65-year-old Velter Perlino, was rescued along with three Nepali guides last week.

Authorities have urged caution for climbers in the region as rescue teams continue to scour the Yalung Ri slopes for those still missing. “The weather remains unpredictable, but we are doing everything possible to bring everyone back,” police said.

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Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, attracts thousands of climbers each year. However, the growing unpredictability of Himalayan weather has made expeditions increasingly dangerous, particularly in the post-monsoon season.

With inputs from agency.

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