Trekkers helicoptered off mountains as more deadly landslides hit Nepal

A fresh surge of intense rainfall and landslides has claimed approximately 30 lives across Nepal, arriving only a month after devastating floods killed 1,400 people and left thousands unaccounted for, according to the BBC.

The latest wave of extreme weather has disrupted over 1,900 families and caused damage to more than 240 residences since late last week, Nepal's national disaster management authority reported. The natural disasters have decimated local infrastructure, washing away bridges, highways, and residential structures throughout impacted regions.

The conditions have triggered an emergency response in popular Himalayan hiking zones, notably along the Annapurna Circuit. Hundreds of foreign trekkers have been forced to abandon their journeys. Rescuers have deployed helicopters to evacuate tourists from the Mustang and Manang districts, where an excursion typically requires up to three weeks of trekking.

Local residents displaced by the disaster describe precarious living conditions. Many families are currently sheltering in damp makeshift tents, struggling with leaking roofs and the sudden loss of their homes and relatives.

For trekkers navigating the terrain on foot, the journey to safety has proven grueling. Travelers and mountain guides described multi-day descents through treacherous, mud-covered slopes, occasionally navigating past dozens of active landslides, collapsed roads, and destroyed crossings. In Chame, a landslide obstructed a river, creating an artificial lake that flooded homes and a vital bridge, prompting emergency excavation efforts.

Despite the severe damage to infrastructure in Manang, local chief district officer Mukti Prasad Khanal confirmed that no trekkers have died in that specific hiking area. However, nearby mountain hazards have proved fatal elsewhere; rescue teams recovered four bodies and continue searching for a dozen missing individuals following an avalanche near the base of Himlung Peak, located near the Tibetan border.

The disruption comes at a critical time for Nepal's tourism-dependent economy. Officials from the Annapurna Conservation Area Project stated that roughly 700 hikers remain halted in Pokhara, awaiting clearance to start the circuit. Tourism authorities have resisted industry calls to reopen the trails prematurely, while Indian pilgrims visiting the Muktinath temple have been instructed to use flights between Jomsom and Pokhara because ground transport routes remain completely severed. With modern roads destroyed, returning hikers have been forced to rely on older, abandoned footpaths to make their way down the mountains.