At least seven climbers, including five foreigners and two Nepalis, have died after being hit by an avalanche on a Himalayan peak in north-eastern Nepal, expedition agency Seven Summit Treks said.

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.

Rescuers located two bodies, and are still searching for the remaining five, who are believed to have been buried by snow. Eight others have been rescued and are in the capital Kathmandu getting treatment for their injuries.

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All these climbers were part of a group that set out over an hour before the avalanche hit, the district police chief told BBC Nepali.

The bodies of the other five deceased climbers “may be 10-15 feet below the snow”, said Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks. “It will take time to find them.”

Those killed include two Italians, a Canadian, a German, a French, and two Nepalis who served as guides.

Local deputy superintendent of Police 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 the Yalung Ri base camp.

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One of the injured climbers told The Kathmandu Post that they had repeatedly called for help, to no avail. “Had the rescue arrived on time, more lives could have been saved,” he told the Nepali newspaper.

Mr Mahato told reporters that rescue efforts were hampered by poor weather and logistical issues, which made it hard to fly helicopters nor reach the site on foot.

The Kathmandu Post reported that the group were preparing to climb the nearby Dolma Khang peak, which has an elevation of 6,332m (20,774ft). They had planned to climb the 5,630m Yalung Ri as part of their acclimatisation schedule.

[BBC]

Separately, the bodies of two Italian climbers who went missing while attempting to scale another mountain in Nepal have been recovered, officials have confirmed.

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Stefano Farronato and Alessandro Caputo were part of a three-man group that became stranded along with three local guides last week on the Panbari mountain in western Nepal. The third member of the group, named in media reports as Velter Perlino, 65, was able to be rescued, along with one sherpa.

The group had been granted permission to climb the 6,887m peak, but were reported missing when they lost contact with the base camp following heavy snowfall on 28 October.

“When a helicopter was sent yesterday [Monday] to the Panbari peak for rescue operations, it could not find them, but rescued one Italian team leader and a sherpa from the basecamp,” Himal Gautam, department of tourism director said. Their bodies have been flown to Kathmandu.

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.

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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.

Days of ferocious snowstorms and an avalanche in Nepal’s treacherous Himalayan peaks have killed nine people, including five Italian climbers, officials have said.

The deaths occurred in two separate accidents since Friday.

Yesterday, an avalanche hit a group of 12 people at the base camp of 5,630-metre Yalung Ri peak, in central Nepal, near the border with China.

Seven people died in that incident, including three Italians, two Nepalis, a German and a French climber, Phurba Tenjing Sherpa, from expedition organiser Dreamers Destination said.

Sherpa, whose company had arranged the expedition for some of the group, said he had “seen all the seven bodies”.

The rest of the group were rescued and airlifted to the capital Kathmandu this morning, said senior police officer Gyan Kumar Mahato, from Dolakha district.

Those rescued included two French climbers and two Nepalis.

Avalanche survivors France’s Didler Armand and Isabelle Thaon at the Era Hospital in Kathmandu

In a earlier incident in western Nepal, two Italian climbers died while attempting to scale the 6,887-metre (22,595-foot) Panbari mountain.

The men had been been out of contact since Friday and today Italy’s foreign ministry named them as Alessandro Caputo and Stefano Farronato.

“Their deaths were confirmed this morning by local authorities,” the statement read. “The compatriots had been caught in heavy snowfall at Camp 1 (5,000 metres above sea level).”

Home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest, Nepal welcomes hundreds of climbers and trekkers every year.

Autumn season is the second most popular time for Himalayan expeditions, despite shorter, colder days, snowy terrain and a narrow summit window compared to the busy spring.

Last week, Cyclone Montha triggered heavy rain and snowfall across Nepal, leaving trekkers and tourists stranded on popular Himalayan trekking routes.

According to the Himalayan Database, an expedition archive, at least 1,093 people have died on peaks since 1950, with avalanches killing almost a third of them.

Mount Yalung Ri is located in central Nepal, near the border with Tibet, nestled among the Himalayas. (ErikTanghe/Pixabay)

A deadly avalanche tore through a climbing camp high on Nepal’s Mount Yalung Ri, killing seven people and injuring five others as brutal weather battered the Himalayas.

Among the dead were two Nepali guides and five foreign climbers, officials said.

As the weather improved Tuesday, rescuers were able to reach the base camp, which sits at more than 16,000 feet.

The district’s police chief, Gyan Kumar Mahato, said four injured climbers were flown by helicopter to the capital, Kathmandu, for treatment.

Isabelle Solange Thaon, 54, said she lost her husband, identified as Christian Manfred, in the avalanche but was lucky to have survived with another French climber, Didier Armand.

“We were lucky because we were on the left,” Thaon said from her hospital bed. “And we leap (over the) rocks and we swim along and after we were in the snow and after someone came immediately (to help).”

“Unfortunately, Christian died. … It was not possible because of rocks hit his head,” she said, adding she was lucky because she was not covered by the snow piled by the avalanche.

Advertisement “The other people were under the snow, they said they think it was six meters (20 feet) under snow so it was completely dead in front. It was not possible to help them.”

Isabelle Solange, a survivor of an avalanche on Mount Yalung Ri, takes rest after being rescued and airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Authorities say the avalanche struck on Monday following reports of deteriorating weather and snowstorms, catching the climbers off guard at their base camp on Mount Yalung Ri.

(MORE: Climbers Plan Himalayas Journey Wearing 1920s Gear)

Mount Yalung Ri, which rises about 18,370 feet above sea level, is often considered a good starting peak for those new to high-altitude climbing. However, in the Himalayas, even “beginner” mountains can turn deadly when the weather takes a turn.

Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 tallest peaks, including Mount Everest.

Spring usually brings the best conditions, but foreign climbers have been known to climb smaller peaks during autumn between the rainy monsoon months and winter.

The Associated Press Contributed to this report.

Search and rescue teams were battling harsh weather on Tuesday to find four missing climbers after an avalanche at a Himalayan peak in Nepal killed seven people, officials said.

The avalanche hit the Yalung Ri base camp in eastern Nepal’s Dolakha at around 8.30am local time on Monday, trapping a 15-member expedition made up of five foreign climbers and 10 Nepali mountain guides.

All five foreigners were killed, as were two Nepalis. Four of the guides sustained injuries and were evacuated to the Na village for treatment, police said.

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Three of the foreigners were from France and one each from Canada and Italy.

Search and rescue teams, including from Nepal’s army and police, were deployed to the area but they were struggling against heavy wind, snow and poor visibility to locate the four missing high-altitude guides.

Authorities said the search operation resumed at first light on Tuesday after heavy snow and thick clouds had forced aircraft to turn back the previous day.

Isabelle Solange, a survivor of an avalanche on Mount Yalung Ri, speaks to the media after being rescued and airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday (AP)

“The avalanche buried everyone on the slope,” deputy police superintendent Gyan Kumar Mahato said. “We got the information late and the difficult weather delayed immediate response.”

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Several rescue attempts were made through the day, he added, but the operation could not proceed because helicopters were unable to reach the site.

“A helicopter finally reached Na village on Monday evening, and we have also deployed rescue teams on foot,” he said.

The rescue teams were focusing on the slopes above the Na village, where the climbers were trapped while ascending Yalung Ri, a 5,630m peak used as a training climb before tackling higher mountains in the region.

Didier Armand, a survivor of an avalanche on Mount Yalung Ri, takes rest after being rescued and airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal (AP)

Police said the mountaineers originally planned to climb Dolma Kang, a 6,334m peak nearby, and were attempting Yalung Ri as part of their acclimatisation schedule. They spent Sunday night in Na and left for the base camp in the morning when the weather briefly improved.

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One of the injured climbers told the Kathmandu Post they had repeatedly called for help but did not receive an immediate response.

“We shouted and cried for help, but no one could reach us,” the person, who was not named, claimed. “We were told that a helicopter would come after four hours but by then several of our friends were gone. Had the rescue arrived on time, more lives could have been saved. Four of our friends are out of contact.”

Mr Mahato blamed “heavy snowfall and clouds” for hampering the rescue operation.

Didier Armand was airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Yalung Ri is located in the Rolwaling Valley of northeastern Nepal and climbers there encounter a mix of rock, ice and snow.

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Officials said the Rolwaling Valley had seen days of snow before the accident, leaving the snowpack unstable even after the skies cleared.

“The team set out only after the weather cleared on Sunday but the snowpack remained unstable,” Mr Mahato said.

In Nepal, summer and autumn are favourable seasons for trekkers and mountaineers as weather conditions are better before the winter sets in. But the risk of avalanches and harsh weather remains.

Last week, South Asia was hit by Cyclone Montha which brought heavy rain in Nepal and India. In the aftermath, two British and one Irish woman had to be rescued after they were trapped for several days in the western Mustang region of Nepal.

KATHMANDU, Nepal — At least two people were killed and five more are missing after an avalanche swept through a camp on Nepal’s Mount Yalung Ri, officials in the South Asian country said.

Two Nepali guides were killed, the District Administration Office in Nepal’s Dolakha region said in a news release Tuesday. Two Italian citizens were missing, along with three climbers from Canada, France and Italy, the release said. All of them are men.

Five Nepali men and three French women were also receiving treatment after they were injured by the avalanche, the release said.

In an earlier interview with NBC News on Monday, Gyan Kumar Mahato, a deputy superintendent with the Nepal Police, had said that three Americans had been killed. He said that two bodies had been recovered and five people remained missing.

The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.

The State Department said Monday that it was aware of media reports of U.S. citizen deaths in the avalanche but was still working to gather further information.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance,” a spokesperson said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families of all those affected.”

Isabelle Thaon, a climber from France who survived the incident, said the avalanche was over 900 feet wide and “really rapid.”

Thaon said she and a fellow trekker were “really lucky” to not be swept under the snow.

The pair waited a “long time” until someone came to their rescue, she said.

Rescue efforts have been hampered by poor weather as well as the high altitude of the site, which Armed Police Force spokesperson Shailendra Thapa told Reuters was 16,070 feet.

Alan Arnette, a mountaineering expert from Colorado who has climbed Mount Everest, told NBC News that the delay had greatly reduced the chances of finding survivors.

“It turned into a recovery operation, and the No. 1 rule of recovery is for the rescuers not to become the victims,” Arnette said.

“They must go very carefully and very slowly, take care of the injured first, evacuate them out by helicopter when it’s safe and then look for the bodies, if possible,” he added.

Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 tallest mountains, including Mount Everest. Yalung Ri peaks at 18,370 feet.

While spring is the most popular climbing season, as weather is favorable on tall peaks, hundreds of foreign climbers come to climb smaller peaks during the autumn, between the rainy monsoon months and winter.

“Mountaineering is a sport of choice. No one’s forcing anybody to make you go. And so that’s why it really becomes incumbent upon the individual to be responsible,” said Arnette, the mountaineering expert.

“Because often, if you get into trouble, it’s not only you that are in trouble, but you’re putting the rescuers in trouble, and perhaps even your teammates.”

Manish Paudel reported from Kathmandu and Shira Pinson from London.