An avalanche struck a camp on Nepal’s Mount Yarungri on Monday, killing at least three people and leaving four foreign climbers still missing, authorities said.
At least 16 people were climbing the 5,630-meter (18,471-foot) mountain when the avalanche hit the base camp at around 10:30 a.m. local time, said Gyan Kumar Mahato, deputy superintendent of police in Nepal’s Dolakha district.
Mahato said the three people confirmed dead included a French national and two Nepali guides. Four people, two French and two Nepalese, were rescued, and five Nepalese were able to return to base camp at an altitude of 4,900 meters (16,070 feet) on their own.
The nationalities and identities of the missing foreign climbers have not yet been confirmed, but Mahato said the group included climbers from France, Canada and Italy.
Authorities had previously said seven people had died on the mountain, but revised the figure downward on Tuesday.
According to the Associated Press, the weather has been worsening in Nepal since last week, with snowstorms reported in the mountains.
Search and rescue teams began a several-hour operation to reach the climbers, but weather conditions, high altitude and difficult terrain complicated the effort. According to the Associated Press, a rescue helicopter attempted to reach the scene but was forced to turn back due to bad weather and rescuers were arriving on foot.
“There’s also the issue of oxygen,” Mahato told CNN. “Only trained people living in hilly and mountainous areas can carry out rescue operations. That’s why we work with local mountaineers and guides. The weather is also a challenge and is always changing.”
Four of the group were rescued on Tuesday morning and taken to hospital, Mahato said. The extent of their injuries is unknown.
Mahato said the five people who returned to base camp were Nepali porters and guides.
A mountaineering expedition company describes Mt. Yarungli, located in the Rolwaling Valley in eastern Nepal, as a mountain suitable for beginners with no climbing experience or for those who are familiar with the high peaks of the Himalayas, which exceed 8,000 meters above sea level.
Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, including Mount Everest.
Spring is the most popular climbing season, and the weather is more favorable in the higher mountains. But during the autumn months between the wet monsoon season and winter, hundreds of foreign climbers come to climb the small mountain, according to the Associated Press.
Mahato said the avalanche occurred “suddenly” but that authorities had warned climbers in the area about the impending rain and monsoon.
“But they had started climbing before the monsoon,” he said.
Human-induced climate change is making weather patterns difficult to predict, including in the Himalayas.
Hundreds of trekkers had to be rescued from the northern Chinese side of Everest last month after unusually heavy snow and rain hit the Himalayas.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
