A tragic avalanche in Nepal has claimed the lives of seven climbers, including five foreign nationals and two Nepali guides, near the base camp of Yalung Ri Mountain in the Dolakha district.

According to the expedition agency Seven Summit Treks, the avalanche struck around 09:00 local time (03:15 GMT) on Monday. The group had been acclimatising before their planned ascent of Dolma Khang (6,332m), when a wall of snow and ice buried several members of the team.

Rescue operations are still underway, with helicopters and ground teams working in severe weather conditions. Two bodies have been recovered so far, while the remaining five are believed to be buried 10–15 feet beneath the snow.

Eight survivors were airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment, while authorities confirmed that those killed included climbers from Italy, Canada, Germany, France, and two Nepalis serving as high-altitude guides.

District Police Chief Gyan Kumar Mahato reported that poor visibility and continuous snowfall are hampering rescue missions. “It will take time to locate all the missing climbers,” said Mingma Sherpa, Chairman of Seven Summit Treks.

The disaster occurred following Cyclone Montha, which brought heavy snow and rainfall across Nepal last week, trapping hundreds of trekkers in the Himalayas and forcing multiple evacuations from the Mount Everest region.

Search efforts are ongoing for two Italian climbers missing on Panbari Mountain in western Nepal, where similar weather patterns have caused dangerous snow buildup.

Autumn remains a popular climbing season in Nepal due to relatively stable conditions, but the tragedy underscores how quickly weather shifts can turn deadly in the Himalayas.

“Had the rescue arrived on time, more lives could have been saved,” one survivor told The Kathmandu Post.

Nepal’s mountaineering authorities have urged climbers to monitor updated forecasts and remain alert to avalanche warnings before undertaking any expedition in the Dolakha or Mustang regions.Official Expedition Agency