ISTANBUL

A search and rescue operation was launched Wednesday to locate three missing climbers in Nepal who were hit by a snow avalanche.

Hom Prasad Luitel, director general of Nepal's Department of Tourism, told Anadolu that a snow slide hit three rope-fixing men-cum-guides, locally known as Sherpa, early Wednesday.

“A helicopter, soldiers, (tourist) guides are searching for the missing men,” Luitel said over the phone.

He said the trio was working for a local tourism group.

“We are trying to search and rescue through air and land surface,” Luitel added.

The snow avalanche hit the most popular Southeast Ridge route to Mount Everest at around 9.30 a.m. local time (0345GMT) on Wednesday.

The missing guides who were ferrying climbing gear for their clients were caught at an unspecified site between the Base Camp and Camp I on its lower parts, the officials said.

It is the first accident on Mount Everest during this year’s climbing season when hundreds of foreign and local climbers attempt to reach the 8,849 meters (29,032 feet) peak.

The world's tallest peak was first scaled by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and his climbing mate Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

Since then, thousands of climbers have summited the mountain, which has claimed the lives of about 300 climbers.

Nepal is home to eight out of 14 peaks above 8,000 meters, including Everest.

​​ ​​​​​*Aamir Latif contributed to the report from Pakistan.