Dolakha: The death toll from an avalanche on Dolma Khang Himal in the Yalung Ri region of Gaurishankar Rural Municipality-9 has reached seven, local authorities confirmed.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Gyan Kumar Mahato of the Dolakha District Police Office, the tragedy claimed the lives of five foreign nationals and two Nepali citizens, though full identification of the victims is still pending.
The deceased were members of a climbing team that had set out on 28 October 2025 to summit Yalung Ri at 5,630 metres. Eight individuals injured in the avalanche have been rescued and airlifted by helicopter to Kathmandu for medical treatment, police reported.
Details on the nationalities of the foreign victims remain unavailable at this time. The bodies are still at the incident site, and adverse weather conditions have made recovery efforts extremely challenging.
The avalanche also left seven people missing, including world-record-holding young mountaineer Phurwa Tenzing Sherpa. The 24-year-old from Bedhing in Gaurishankar Rural Municipality-9 had successfully summited Mount Everest 15 times. At just 24 years old, he had already achieved nine Everest ascents, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
According to police, the avalanche struck around 9 am on Monday, devastating the climbers’ base camp. Poor weather hampered rescue operations throughout the day, but efforts resumed Tuesday morning with improved conditions. Teams from Everest Helicopter and Seven Summit Treks, led by Mingma Sherpa, have joined the search and rescue.
Currently, the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police are conducting a joint rescue operation. A team of approximately 50 personnel, deployed from Gongar in Lamabagar, is advancing toward the site via Na village. Communication challenges in the remote area are complicating efforts, but searches continue unabated, police added.
The incident, triggered by heavy snowfall from Cyclone Montha, underscores the perils of Himalayan mountaineering amid Nepal’s volatile autumn weather. Among the confirmed fatalities are three U.S. citizens, one Canadian, and one Italian, highlighting the international scope of the loss. Rescue teams are racing against time to locate the missing, including the celebrated Sherpa, as operations persist despite logistical hurdles.
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