An avalanche has swept through a camp on Mount Yalung Ri in Nepal, killing five foreign climbers and two Nepali guides, officials say.
Armed Police Force spokesperson Shailendra Thapa said five other people were hurt at the base camp, located at 4900 metres.
Among those missing on Yalung Ri Himal mountain, which rises to 5630 metres in the Dolakha district northeast of Kathmandu, were five foreign nationals, said police official Gyan Kumar Mahato.
Their nationalities and identities are yet to be confirmed.
Four injured climbers were evacuated to a nearby village and a search for the missing climbers, including by helicopter, was continuing, Mahato said.
“We have also dispatched ground search-and-rescue teams from the army and police and are awaiting (developments).”
Weather has been deteriorating since last week in Nepal, with snowstorms reported on the mountains.
Rescuers were reaching the site on foot. A rescue helicopter attempted to reach the site but bad weather forced it to turn back.
Thapa said it would try again today.
Mount Yalung Ri is a 5600-metre peak. It is considered a mountain for beginners with no previous experience in climbing high mountains.
AP, Reuters
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