A deadly avalanche struck Mount Manaslu in northern Nepal late on the night of the 22nd, claiming the lives of at least nine members of a European climbing team, leaving four missing, and rescuing twelve others.
Mount Manaslu, standing at 8,156 meters, is the world's eighth highest peak. Nepalese rescue authorities said the avalanche occurred when the team was at Camp 3, a base camp at around 7,000 meters, as they were preparing to summit.
The climbing team consisted of 25 members from Germany, France, and Italy. Police confirmed on the 23rd that two bodies had been recovered — one German climber and one Nepalese guide. Seven other climbers' bodies were found scattered around the base camp, but their nationalities are unknown. All twelve survivors were injured, with five of them airlifted by rescue helicopters to hospitals in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
Due to worsening weather conditions in the mountains, Nepalese authorities were unable to continue aerial search and rescue operations, leaving the remaining injured still stranded at the base camp.
Mount Manaslu is fraught with dangers, and in recent years, few climbing teams have successfully reached its summit, while dozens have lost their lives in mountaineering accidents.
There are 14 peaks around the world that exceed 8,000 meters in elevation, eight of which are located in Nepal. Thousands of climbers visit every year, most traveling during spring when weather conditions in the Himalayas are favorable. In addition, from the end of September to October, after the monsoon season ends, there is also a brief climbing window.