katherine armstrong and
Diwakar Pyakurel & Panindra Dahal;BBC Nepali in Kathmandu
At least seven climbers, including five foreigners and two Nepalese, have died on a Himalayan peak in northeastern Nepal, expedition agency Seven Summit Treks said. said.
The incident occurred at 9:00 a.m. local time on Monday (03:15 local time) near the Yalung Ri mountain base camp in the Dolakha region.
Rescue workers found two bodies and are searching for five others believed to be buried in the snow. The remaining eight people were rescued and are receiving treatment for their injuries in the capital Kathmandu.
The climbers were all part of a group that set off an hour before the avalanche struck, a local police chief told BBC Nepal.
The bodies of the other five dead climbers could be 10 to 15 feet beneath the snow, said Mingma Sherpa, president of Seven Summit Treks. “It will take time to find them.”
The dead included two Italians, a Canadian, a German, a Frenchman, and two Nepalis who worked as guides.
Police chief Gyan Kumar Mahato told the BBC on Monday that a rescue helicopter had landed in the Na Gaun area of Dolakha, a five-hour walk from Yarlungri base camp.
One of the injured climbers told the Kathmandu Post that he repeatedly asked for help, but to no avail. “If rescue teams had arrived on time, more lives could have been saved,” he told a Nepali newspaper.
Prime Minister Mahato told reporters that rescue efforts were hampered by bad weather and logistical challenges, making it difficult to fly helicopters or reach the scene on foot.
The Kathmandu Post reported that the group was preparing to climb the nearby Dolma Khang peak, which is 6,332 meters (20,774 feet) above sea level. They planned to climb the 5,630m Yalung Ri as part of their acclimatization itinerary.
Separately, attempts are continuing to rescue two Italian climbers who went missing while trying to climb Mount Panbari in western Nepal.
Stefano Farronato and Alessandro Caputo were part of a group of three who became stranded last week with three local guides. A third member, Belter Perlino, 65, was rescued, according to media reports.
Autumn is a popular season for trekkers and mountaineers in Nepal due to better weather conditions and visibility. However, the risk of bad weather and avalanches remains.
Last week, Cyclone Monta brought heavy rain and snow across Nepal, stranding people in the Himalayas.
Two Britons and an Irish woman were among a group that had to be rescued after being trapped for days in the western Mustang area.
Bad weather left hundreds of hikers stranded near Mount Everest in October.
