KATHMANDU: The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA) has temporarily suspended its search and recovery operation at Himlung Himal after recovering four bodies from the avalanche site, with 12 expedition cook staff still missing.

The NNMGA rescue team, led by IFMGA mountain guide Mingma G Sherpa, returned from the mountain on Monday after searching the avalanche-hit base camp. The team had ascended with the hope of finding survivors but found no one alive.

The avalanche buried the Himlung base camp under around 14 feet of snow. According to Mingma G, the scale of the avalanche was unprecedented for the base camp, while deep snow, freezing temperatures and unstable conditions made manual excavation extremely difficult.

“We had rushed up in the hope of finding survivors, but we had no luck,” Mingma G said in a statement. “We recovered four bodies, making it clear that no one survived. Still, twelve cook staff remain missing at Himlung Base Camp.”

He said digging through 14 feet of snow across the entire area with shovels was not possible under the prevailing conditions. The rescue team will continue monitoring the snow and mountain conditions and retrieve the remaining bodies when conditions become safer.

“The rescue has been paused on our side, not by the organisers, so they may have their own plans of which we are unaware,” Mingma G said.

The four bodies recovered so far are those of climbing guides Chhebi Bhote and Pasang Bhote, and expedition support staff Birendra Gurung and Ghan Shyam Rai. The bodies of Chhebi Bhote and Pasang Bhote, recovered on Sunday, were brought to Kathmandu on Monday.

The NNMGA said the rescue operation was carried out voluntarily and without payment by its mountain guides, who put their experience, skills and personal safety at risk to search for survivors and recover the deceased.

The rescue team comprised Mingma G Sherpa, Pasang Kaji Sherpa, Pimba Tenzing Bhote, Ashish Gurung, Tsering Pemba Sherpa, Bikram Karki, Dandu Sherpa and Pasang Rinzi Sherpa, all IFMGA mountain guides.

The avalanche struck the Himlung base camp on Sunday, burying 16 expedition support staff, including 14 kitchen staff from two expedition teams and two climbing guides, according to the Department of Tourism.

The NNMGA acknowledged support from expedition companies Imagine Nepal and Himalayan Holidays, as well as helicopter operators Prabhu Helicopter and Heli Kailash. It also thanked the Nepal Police in Chame, Manang, along with other rescuers, guides, helicopter crews, local authorities and individuals involved in the operation.

“We came to search for life. We stayed to recover the lost. We will not forget them,” the NNMGA said.

The association expressed condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those killed in the avalanche.