At least seven climbers, including five foreign nationals, were killed after an avalanche struck the Yalung Ri base camp in Nepal’s Rolwaling range on Monday morning.
Four Nepali high-altitude workers remain missing as rescue efforts continue amid severe weather.
The 15-member team, made up of climbers from France, Canada, Italy, and Nepal, was acclimatising before attempting nearby Dolma Kang.
Poor visibility and heavy snowfall have hampered helicopter rescues, delaying recovery operations.
The avalanche hit at approximately 8:30am.
The group had originally planned to summit Dolma Kang, a peak rising to 6,334 metres.
As part of acclimatisation efforts, they aimed to first climb Yalung Ri, which stands at 5,630 metres.
Deputy Superintendent Gyan Kumar Mahato told local media that all climbers on the slope were buried by the avalanche.
“The avalanche buried everyone on the slope.
“”We got the information late, and the difficult weather delayed immediate response,” Mahato said.
“As soon as we were informed, we coordinated with the Home Ministry and deployed the Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police from Lamabager,” he added.
Mahato noted that the poor weather conditions had delayed rescue attempts.
He reiterated that helicopters were unable to reach the site, forcing rescue teams to travel foot.
“But due to heavy snowfall and clouds, helicopters couldn’t be flown, and reaching the site on foot was extremely difficult,” Mahato added.
One of the injured climbers said they made called for help several times but heard nothing for hours.
Breakings news… More to follow
