Five foreign climbers and two Nepali guides died when a slide hit a high camp during deteriorating weather.
DOLAKHA, Nepal — An avalanche crashed into a climbing camp on Mount Yalung Ri on Monday, killing seven people and injuring others as bad weather stalled rescues in Nepal’s northeastern Himalayas. Authorities said the victims included five foreign climbers and two Nepali guides at a staging area around 16,070 feet above sea level.
The slide struck as a 15-member team prepared to climb during Nepal’s busy autumn season, when peaks draw international teams before winter closes in. Officials said helicopters initially turned back because of wind and poor visibility, forcing ground teams to climb from Na Village as night fell. The incident has renewed scrutiny of weather risks on lower, training peaks that are billed as beginner-friendly but sit beneath steep avalanche paths. Recovery operations are ongoing as authorities confirm identities and notify families.
Rescuers and local officials said the avalanche hit shortly after 8:30 a.m. local time near a high camp used for acclimatization on Yalung Ri, a 18,300-foot peak in Dolakha District. The camp sits above a narrow basin that funnels snowfall from surrounding ridges. Survivors described tents being buried within seconds under 15 to 20 feet of snow, with climbers digging each other out using shovels, ice axes and hands. Helicopter crews attempted a landing midafternoon but aborted as clouds dropped and spindrift swept the slope. “Recovery will be slow and methodical,” veteran mountaineer Alan Arnette said, noting teams would prioritize safety as loose slabs remained overhead.
Nepal’s home ministry said seven bodies were recovered or located by late Monday while searchers treated multiple injuries among the remaining climbers. Officials reported at least four people unaccounted for in the first hours after the slide; later tallies fluctuated as teams reconciled duplicate names and injured climbers were evacuated. The group included citizens from several countries along with Nepali guides. Authorities said the slide struck a camp at roughly 4,900 meters elevation, where the team had gathered to stage a summit push. Ground teams from Dolakha and the Nepal Army moved upslope from Na Village, a five-hour approach on foot, while pilots waited for a weather window to return. The exact trigger of the avalanche remains unknown.
Early November storms have battered the region following a period of heavy snowfall tied to a broader weather system moving across Nepal’s high country. Yalung Ri is often used as a training peak for nearby objectives and is regarded as accessible compared with the country’s highest summits, but guides warn that its basins load quickly when wind shifts. The fatal slide came amid other weather-related incidents in the Himalayas that same week, including storm reports on peaks to the west. Nepal hosts eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains and sees a surge of climbers during autumn when temperatures are colder but skies are typically clearer—conditions that can change rapidly when new snow arrives.
Officials opened an investigation to document the party’s permit, route plan and camp placement, along with recent snow and wind data. District authorities said they would review radio traffic and satellite messages to establish the timeline from the initial collapse to the first distress calls. Search leaders said the focus had shifted to recovering victims and stabilizing the site before additional storms arrive. Helicopter teams planned to shuttle rescuers and equipment to the basin once visibility lifted, with ground teams keeping a fixed line in place for safe movement. As of Friday, officials said compacted debris made probing difficult, and searches could pause temporarily if the slope hardens overnight.
By midweek, clouds thinned enough for brief aerial access to the valley above Na Village, allowing the evacuation of several injured climbers to Kathmandu for treatment. Porters and guides who reached the camp described flattened tents and a scoured path through the moraine. “It sounded like a jet,” said a local porter who arrived shortly after the slide. “Then it was white—everything was white.” Residents in Na said they watched helicopters hover and back away as gusts built through the afternoon. On the approach trail, prayer flags hung rigid in the wind while teams moved in rope units, probing the snow step by step.
Authorities said the immediate priority is to account for every member of the expedition and notify families through national embassies. Weather forecasters warned that another pulse of snow could push into Dolakha late Sunday, potentially limiting rotor flights. Officials said they expect to provide a consolidated update on the status of the search and any recovered remains Monday morning in Kathmandu. Recovery teams remain on the mountain as conditions allow, and the site at Yalung Ri’s high camp is being monitored for secondary slides.
Author note: Last updated November 9, 2025.