Avalanche kills 7 mountaineers in Nepal

ISTANBUL

Seven people were killed in an avalanche in central Nepal on Monday while trying to summit a mountain, according to police.

A group of 15, including five foreign climbers and 10 Nepali mountain guides, were struck by the avalanche at the base camp of the Yalung Ri peak in the Dolakha district.

"Seven bodies have been recovered, including five foreigners and two Nepalis. Three are Americans, one is Italian, and another Canadian," Gyan Kumar Mahato, chief of the district police, told Xinhua, mentioning that four people were injured and four are still missing.

A helicopter was dispatched for a rescue operation, but it was unable to land due to poor weather conditions, he said.

By Friday, Nepal had issued permits to 1,450 climbers to summit 59 mountains during the fall climbing season, which lasts from September to November.