Nov 04, Kathmandu - The death toll in an avalanche that hit Dolma Khang Himal in the Yalung Ri area of ​​Gaurishankar Rural Municipality-9 has reached seven.

According to DSP Gyan Kumar Mahato of the District Police Office, Dolakha, five foreigners and two Nepali citizens have been confirmed dead in the accident. The police have stated that the identities of the deceased have not been ascertained.

They are members of a team that went to climb the 5,630-meter Yalung Ri mountain on Kartik 11. Police have said that eight people who were injured in the avalanche were rescued and sent to Kathmandu by helicopter for treatment.

Details of the foreign nationalities of the deceased are yet to be received. The bodies are said to be at the scene and the work of recovering them is being difficult due to adverse weather conditions.

Seven people, including world record-holding young climber Phurba Tenjing Sherpa, have reportedly gone missing after being caught in an avalanche.

Phurba Tenjing Sherpa, 24, of Gaurishankar Rural Municipality-9, Beding, had successfully climbed Mount Everest 15 times. At the age of 24, he had climbed Mount Everest nine times and entered the Guinness Book of World Records.

According to police, the avalanche occurred around 9 am on Monday.

The avalanche also damaged the climbers' base camp, police said. Although rescue operations were hampered throughout the day on Monday due to bad weather, search and rescue operations were resumed on Tuesday morning with the improvement in the weather, led by Everest Helicopters and Seven Summits' Mingma Sherpa.

Currently, the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police are jointly conducting a rescue operation. A team of about 50 people deployed from Gongar in Lamabagar is moving towards the incident site via Na village. Police have stated that the search is continuing despite the difficulties in the rescue operation due to the lack of communication in the area.