Getty ImagesKathryn Armstrong and
Diwakar Pyakurel & Phanindra Dahal,BBC Nepali in Kathmandu
At least three climbers, including a French national and two Nepalese people, have died after being hit by an avalanche on a Himalayan peak in north-eastern Nepal, police say.
The incident happened at 09:00 local time (03:15 GMT) on Monday near the base camp of the Yalung Ri mountain in Dolakha district.
A further four climbers – two Italians, a German and a Canadian – are feared dead but a search for them is continuing. The killed and missing were part of a group of 12 trekkers and local guides that set out over an hour before the avalanche hit, the district police chief told the BBC.
Five Nepali guides who returned to the base camp were injured but not critically.
“Three bodies have been seen and rescue teams have to find four more,” local deputy superintendent of Police Gyan Kumar Mahato told the BBC.
It is not clear if the other two confirmed dead, who are both Nepali, were working with the group or were climbers themselves.
Mr Mahato said a rescue helicopter had landed on Monday in the Na Gaun area of Dolakha – a five-hour walk from the Yelung Ri base camp.
Efforts to locate those still missing have been hampered by poor weather and logistical issues, according to local media reports.
Separately, attempts to rescue two Italian climbers who went missing while attempting to scale the Panbari mountain in western Nepal are continuing.
Stefano Farronato and Alessandro Caputo were part of a three-man group that became stranded along with three local guides last week. The third member of the group, named in media reports as Velter Perlino, 65, has since been rescued.
Autumn is a popular season for trekkers and mountaineers in Nepal as weather conditions and visibility have tended to be better. However, the risk of severe weather and avalanches remains.
Last week, Cyclone Montha triggered heavy rain and snowfall across Nepal, stranding people in the Himalayas.
Two British and one Irish woman were among a group that had to be rescued after being trapped for several days in the western Mustang region.
Severe weather also left hundreds of hikers stranded near Mount Everest in October.
