A significant avalanche occurred at Manapathi Himal within the Dhaulagiri mountain range in Mustang district on Tuesday evening, leading to the blockage of Bokshikhola (Bokshi River), a key tributary of the Kali Gandaki River.
This marks the second avalanche in the region this month. On August 23, a similar incident struck Mulkharka in Thasang Rural Municipality-2, according to Gautam Sherchan, Spokesperson of Thasang Rural Municipality. Sherchan, who also serves as the Chairperson of Ward No. 2, reported that the latest avalanche took place at 5:45 PM, further exacerbating the situation by completely blocking Bokshikhola.
“The previous avalanche debris had accumulated in the Mulkharka area. This new avalanche has extended the debris down to Bokshikhola,” Sherchan explained.
While the affected area has no human settlements, eliminating the risk of human casualties or livestock fatalities, the avalanche’s impact could severely disrupt vehicular movement along the Beni-Jomsom road, which runs adjacent to Bokshikhola.
It is noteworthy that the region has experienced severe avalanches in the past, including a massive one on Tukuche Himal at Kobang of Thasang Rural Municipality-2 on November 14, 2021, and March 5, 2022, which tragically resulted in the deaths of over 150 yaks.
Authorities are monitoring the situation closely and assessing the potential hazards posed by the avalanche debris on local infrastructure.
