Nepal rescuers recover eight bodies after Himalayan avalanche

Kathmandu, Nepal: Rescuers in Nepal recovered 8 more bodies on Thursday following a massive Himalayan avalanche that buried 16 expedition support workers at a mountain base camp.

The recovery brings the total confirmed death toll from Sunday's disaster to 15, with search teams actively seeking one final missing person.

The deadly avalanche swept through the base camp of the 7,126-metre Himlung peak near the Chinese border, striking early Sunday as Nepali staff prepared for upcoming mountain expeditions.

A team of 11 rescuers, including experienced mountain guides, worked intensely at the site, digging through over four metres of dense snow that had buried camp tents.

Search teams previously recovered two mountain guides on Sunday, two kitchen workers on Monday, and three additional bodies on Tuesday.

Himlung peak is a key climbing location, often serving as a popular destination for mountaineers beginning 7,000-metre ascents in Nepal, a nation heavily reliant on trekking tourism.

The disaster stands as one of the country's worst mountaineering tragedies in recent years, echoing severe Everest avalanches in 2014 and 2015.