Serac Fall Avalanche Hits Camp 3 at Night; 11 Killed
| Event date | 23 September 2012, about 4:45 a.m. |
|---|---|
| Location | Camp 3 (~6,800 m); serac released from about 7,400 m |
| Type | Avalanche; climbing accident; rescue and evacuation |
| Deaths | 11 (8 bodies recovered, 3 missing and presumed dead) |
| Verification | Verified |
| Status | Historical / closed |
Before dawn on 23 September 2012, a serac reported to be several hundred metres wide broke away above Camp 3 and set off a slab avalanche that hit the camp while climbers slept in their tents. The air blast also struck Camp 2 lower down. Eleven people died; eight bodies were recovered and three climbers were never found.
About 31 people at Camp 3 were swept away in the slide, and about ten more were hit but escaped. A Simrik Air helicopter arrived around 9:45 a.m. and, over about 18 flights that day, evacuated 14 people. Exactly forty years after the Korean disaster, it showed again how exposed Manaslu’s middle camps are to what hangs above them.
Sources
- Alan Arnette — "Avalanche Kills Many on Nepal's Manaslu"
- Explorersweb — "Revisiting Manaslu's Two Worst Avalanches: 1972 and 2012"
- ESPN — "11 killed in avalanche on Mount Manaslu"
Last reviewed 29 September 2026. Written in Merolog’s own words from the sources listed; where sources disagree, each figure is attributed rather than merged. Spotted an error or a newer figure? Leave a comment on this entry.