Nepal: Himlung Himal avalanche death toll rises to 15

The death toll from an avalanche at the base camp of Nepal's 7,126-metre Himlung Himal peak has risen to 15 after eight more bodies were recovered on Thursday, while one person remains missing.

The avalanche struck the base camp in the Nar Phu area of Manang district on 27 September, burying tents where Nepali guides and support workers were preparing the site and climbing routes ahead of the autumn mountaineering season.

Tul Singh Gurung, president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, said eight bodies were recovered on Thursday. Seven others had been recovered earlier in the week.

A search-and-rescue operation involving mountain guides and support personnel has been underway despite difficult conditions at the high-altitude site. One worker remains unaccounted for.

The foreign climbers expected to use the camp had not yet arrived when the avalanche struck.

The incident occurred amid persistent rain and snowfall in Nepal's mountain districts, where adverse weather has also triggered floods and landslides.

Nepal is still recovering from devastating floods in August that killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing, according to reports at the time.