Nepal's Annapurna Region Reels as Fresh Landslides Kill 30, Strand Hundreds of Trekkers

A fresh wave of landslides and torrential rain has killed around 30 people across Nepal, according to the national disaster management authority, deepening a humanitarian crisis in the Himalayan nation still reeling from catastrophic flooding in August that claimed 1,400 lives and left thousands more unaccounted for.

The disaster authority reported that more than 1,900 families have been affected since late last week, with over 240 homes damaged. Roads, buildings and bridges have been swept away across multiple districts, cutting off communities and severing vital transport links in a country where mountainous terrain already makes access difficult.

Hundreds of trekkers on the Annapurna Circuit — a route that is crucial to Nepal's economy — have been forced to abandon their hikes and seek safety. Many have been airlifted by helicopter from the districts of Manang and Mustang, escaping a circuit that normally takes up to three weeks to complete.

The scale of the disruption has been immense. Around 700 trekkers remain stranded in Pokhara, unable to even begin the trek, according to a representative of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project. The local trekking authority said it has been holding back all these people despite mounting pressure from the trekking industry to declare the route open.

For those already on the trail, the journey back down has been harrowing. Several trekkers and their guides described treacherous descents lasting three to four days, requiring them to navigate collapsed roads and cross rivers where bridges had been washed away.

Jake Stacy, a 21-year-old from Suffolk in the United Kingdom, found himself stranded with his guide in Yak Kharka, upper Manang, after heavy snowfall struck last week. He decided not to push on to the Thorang La pass, the highest point of the circuit. "We made our own paths on mountain slopes," he said after returning to base camp in Pokhara on Tuesday night. "It was quite steep and we were clambering because there was river below… It was very muddy and very wet."

Australian trekker Andrew Graham and his guide Prem KC opted to turn back from Manang village after encountering more than 15 landslides. "A few of them were quite dangerous, the residual risks have grown now," Graham said. The pair became stuck when they reached Chame village, which had been evacuated because of landslide risk, and were forced to spend a night in the jungle.

A massive landslide has partially blocked a river flowing through Chame, creating a temporary lake that has inundated houses and a key bridge. Local residents told the BBC that authorities have spent the past three days attempting to release the water using excavators, but with limited success. The situation illustrates the cascading dangers Nepal faces, where a single slope failure can trigger flooding, destroy infrastructure and displace entire communities.

Trekking guide Tse Ring Doma said she and her group had to cross 28 landslides on their return. She described the mental strain as more difficult than the physical challenge, particularly given the fresh trauma of last month's enormous disaster. "Even thunder would make us run and come out to see if anything was coming our way," she said.

Her client, Norwegian Ellen Wahlström, reflected on the disparity between visitors and locals. She noted that trekkers were fortunate because they would only have to leave some of their items behind, while residents risked losing their houses and land. She also praised authorities for clearing many of the landslides "surprisingly fast," a rare note of optimism amid the destruction.

In Battar, a town north-west of Kathmandu, communities are mourning loved ones while sheltering in emergency tents. Buti Tamang, speaking from a damp blue tent, told BBC Nepali: "We used to live in a hut, but now there is nothing. We have lost so many of our relatives." Ramesh Ghale, who also fled his home, described the grim conditions: "Now it is raining and the tent leaks, so we've been facing a difficult situation. We have nowhere to go."

Officials in Manang district reported that no one had been killed in the trekking region itself, though road damage has been severe, with several bridges swept away and communications down in some areas. Mukti Prasad Khanal, the chief district officer, confirmed the toll there remained limited to infrastructure.

However, the human cost elsewhere continues to mount. Four bodies have been recovered and 12 people remain missing after an avalanche near the base of Himlung Peak, close to the border with Tibet. That incident underscores the heightened dangers across Nepal's high-altitude regions, where unstable snowpack and saturated ground have amplified the risk of sudden slides.

The disaster has also disrupted religious tourism. Indian visitors who often travel to the ancient temple of Muktinath on a Hindu pilgrimage have been asked to fly from Jomsom to Pokhara instead of driving down, because the road has been cut off. The change affects a significant flow of pilgrims and adds further strain to an already stretched transport network.

The Annapurna Circuit, which weaves through both Mustang and Manang districts, is one of Nepal's most popular trekking routes and a vital source of revenue for local communities, teahouses, guides and porters. The closure of the route — with hundreds unable to start and others helicoptered out — represents an economic blow on top of the humanitarian toll.

Authorities now face the delicate task of balancing safety with economic pressure. The Annapurna Conservation Area Project representative acknowledged the pressure from the trekking industry to reopen, but said the priority remained protecting lives. With more rain forecast and slopes already saturated, the risk of further landslides remains high.

For now, Nepal is confronting a familiar and painful cycle: extreme weather triggering landslides, destroying homes and infrastructure, displacing families and stranding visitors. The August floods were described as catastrophic; this latest wave has compounded the suffering, leaving communities across the Himalayan nation to mourn, rebuild and brace for what may come next.