Heavy&nbsp;snow, chilling winds and poor visibility hampered the&nbsp;search&nbsp;Sunday for four South Koreans and three Nepalis caught in an avalanche in the popular <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-avalanche-nearly-200-rescued-from-mt-everest-and-annapurna-275170">Annapurna</a> region of the Himalayas, officials said.

Relatives of the&nbsp;missing&nbsp;Koreans have arrived in <a>Kathmandu</a> alongside several officials sent by Seoul to help with the emergency rescue efforts, Ang Dorjee Sherpa of the&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;Alpine Federation said.

The&nbsp;missing&nbsp;group was near the Annapurna base camp around 3,230 meters (10,600 feet) above sea level when the avalanche struck after&nbsp;heavy&nbsp;snowfall on Friday.

"Search&nbsp;and rescue efforts are underway but weather and&nbsp;snow&nbsp;in the area have made it difficult to make much progress," said Mira Acharya from&nbsp;Nepal's tourism department.&nbsp;

Helicopters were sent out on Saturday to rescue about 200 people stranded around Annapurna and other nearby mountains after the incident.

Photos from the area shared on social media showed guesthouses along the trekking route blanketed in a thick layer of&nbsp;snow.

Tek Gurung, a guesthouse owner aiding in the&nbsp;search&nbsp;operation, said more than two meters of&nbsp;snow&nbsp;(6.6 feet) had fallen on the hiking trails.

"We have been searching since yesterday but have not found anything yet. It is very windy and snowy here, to&nbsp;search&nbsp;the&nbsp;snow-covered areas on foot is difficult," Gurung said.

"There are still masses of&nbsp;snow&nbsp;falling from above."

<img alt="Trekkers arrive after a rescue operation from the Annapurna circuit" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="135a8a31-837b-4b83-ad08-f5c4acc5f821" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2830%29_5.jpg" /> 
[ Trekkers arrive after a rescue operation from the Annapurna circuit (Courtesy: AFP) ]

Six of the&nbsp;missing&nbsp;were part of the same expedition, while one Nepali porter was escorting a different group.&nbsp;

The four foreigners which include two men and two women were part of an 11-member team of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/four-south-korean-trekkers-among-seven-missing-in-nepal-avalanche-275074">South&nbsp;Korean</a>&nbsp;nationals.&nbsp;

"The rest of the team are unhurt and have safely come down. We are coordinating to make the&nbsp;search&nbsp;operation effective," said Dilip Gurung of the tourism management committee in Chhomrong, which lies on the trekking route.

Education officials in Seoul said they were part of a team of volunteer teachers working with children in&nbsp;Nepal.&nbsp;

Two more South Koreans were due to arrive in&nbsp;Nepal&nbsp;on Sunday to help with the&nbsp;search, the country's foreign ministry said.

Sherpa said it had snowed heavily around Annapurna in recent days, making the trek risky.

"The weather and&nbsp;snow&nbsp;got worse and, feeling it was becoming dangerous and difficult, they decided to turn. As they were heading back the avalanche hit," Sherpa said&nbsp;on Saturday.

Annapurna is an avalanche-prone and technically difficult mountain range with a higher death rate than Everest, the world's highest peak.&nbsp;

Thousands of&nbsp;trekkers&nbsp;visit the route every year for its stunning views of the Himalayas.

A&nbsp;snowstorm&nbsp;killed about 40 people on the circuit in 2014, in one of the biggest trekking tragedies to hit&nbsp;Nepal.

Heavy snow, chilling winds and poor visibility hampered the search Sunday for four South Koreans and three Nepalis caught in an avalanche in the popular Annapurna region of the Himalayas, officials said.

Heavy snow, chilling winds and poor visibility hampered the search Sunday for four South Koreans and three Nepalis caught in an avalanche in the popular Annapurna region of the Himalayas, officials said. Relatives of the missing Koreans have arrived in Kathmandu alongside several officials sent by Seoul to help with the emergency rescue efforts, Ang Dorjee Sherpa of the Korean Alpine Federation said. The missing group was near the Annapurna base camp around 3,230 meters (10,600 feet) above sea level when the avalanche struck after heavy snowfall on Friday. "Search and rescue efforts are underway but weather and snow in the area have made it difficult to make much progress," said Mira Acharya from Nepal's tourism department. Helicopters were sent out on Saturday to rescue about 200 people stranded around Annapurna and other nearby mountains after the incident. Photos from the area shared on social media showed guesthouses along the trekking route blanketed in a thick layer of snow. Tek Gurung, a guesthouse owner aiding in the search operation, said more than two meters of snow (6.6 feet) had fallen on the hiking trails. "We have been searching since yesterday but have not found anything yet. It is very windy and snowy here, to search the snow-covered areas on foot is difficult," Gurung said. "There are still masses of snow falling from above." [ Trekkers arrive after a rescue operation from the Annapurna circuit (Courtesy: AFP) ] Six of the missing were part of the same expedition, while one Nepali porter was escorting a different group. The four foreigners which include two men and two women were part of an 11-member team of South Korean nationals. "The rest of the team are unhurt and have safely come down. We are coordinating to make the search operation effective," said Dilip Gurung of the tourism management committee in Chhomrong, which lies on the trekking route. Education officials in Seoul said they were part of a team of volunteer teachers working with children in Nepal. Two more South Koreans were due to arrive in Nepal on Sunday to help with the search, the country's foreign ministry said. Sherpa said it had snowed heavily around Annapurna in recent days, making the trek risky. "The weather and snow got worse and, feeling it was becoming dangerous and difficult, they decided to turn. As they were heading back the avalanche hit," Sherpa said on Saturday. Annapurna is an avalanche-prone and technically difficult mountain range with a higher death rate than Everest, the world's highest peak. Thousands of trekkers visit the route every year for its stunning views of the Himalayas. A snowstorm killed about 40 people on the circuit in 2014, in one of the biggest trekking tragedies to hit Nepal.

Heavy snow hampers search for missing South Korean, Nepal trekkers

Seven&nbsp;trekkers, including&nbsp;four&nbsp;South&nbsp;Koreans, went&nbsp;missing&nbsp;in&nbsp;Nepal's northwest Himalayan region after an&nbsp;avalanche&nbsp;hit their trail, local police and hiking officials said on Saturday.

The area where the&nbsp;avalanche&nbsp;struck the group, which also included three local guides, is estimated to be about 150 km (93.21 miles) northwest of&nbsp;Nepali capital <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/worlds-shortest-man-khagendra-thapa-magar-dies-in-nepal-at-27-274952">Kathmandu</a>, according to the officials. The&nbsp;avalanche&nbsp;was triggered by heavy rain and snowfall, they said.

"Four&nbsp;of our&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;clients, who were trekking in the Annapurna region are not in contact and are&nbsp;missing&nbsp;since an&nbsp;avalanche&nbsp;struck them on Friday," Sandesh Pandey, who runs the tour company which organized the hike, told reporters.

Mount Annapurna, in northwest&nbsp;Nepal, is the world's tenth highest mountain at 8,091 meters (26,545 feet) and its base camp is popular with thousands of&nbsp;trekkers&nbsp;who visit annually.

The three&nbsp;Nepali guides are also not reachable, said Mira Acharya, a tourism department official in Kathmandu.

Four&nbsp;helicopters have been deployed for the search and rescue mission with police and local volunteers also looking for the&nbsp;trekkers, Acharya said, adding, however, that rough weather conditions were making the operation difficult.

The incident comes as the annual trekking season in&nbsp;Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountain peaks including Mount Everest, is drawing to a close.

It could potentially dampen the mood for the Himalayan nation's tourism industry, yet to recover from a devastating earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people in 2015 including 18 climbers and their guides at the base camp of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/satellite-images-find-grass-shrubs-in-mount-everest-273403">Mount Everest</a>.

Cash-strapped&nbsp;Nepal&nbsp;earns 4 per cent&nbsp;of GDP through income from tourists.

About 8 per cent of the nearly 1.1 million tourists who visited the country in 2019 went hiking or mountain climbing, according to official estimates.

Separately,&nbsp;four&nbsp;rescue helicopters on Saturday evacuated nearly 200&nbsp;trekkers&nbsp;in the Annapurna region about 140 of them foreigners&nbsp;to safer locations, police said. Their nationalities are not yet known.

Seven trekkers, including four South Koreans, went missing in Nepal's northwest Himalayan region after an avalanche hit their trail, local police and hiking officials said on Saturday.

Seven trekkers, including four South Koreans, went missing in Nepal's northwest Himalayan region after an avalanche hit their trail, local police and hiking officials said on Saturday. The area where the avalanche struck the group, which also included three local guides, is estimated to be about 150 km (93.21 miles) northwest of Nepali capital Kathmandu, according to the officials. The avalanche was triggered by heavy rain and snowfall, they said. "Four of our Korean clients, who were trekking in the Annapurna region are not in contact and are missing since an avalanche struck them on Friday," Sandesh Pandey, who runs the tour company which organized the hike, told reporters. Mount Annapurna, in northwest Nepal, is the world's tenth highest mountain at 8,091 meters (26,545 feet) and its base camp is popular with thousands of trekkers who visit annually. The three Nepali guides are also not reachable, said Mira Acharya, a tourism department official in Kathmandu. Four helicopters have been deployed for the search and rescue mission with police and local volunteers also looking for the trekkers, Acharya said, adding, however, that rough weather conditions were making the operation difficult. The incident comes as the annual trekking season in Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountain peaks including Mount Everest, is drawing to a close. It could potentially dampen the mood for the Himalayan nation's tourism industry, yet to recover from a devastating earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people in 2015 including 18 climbers and their guides at the base camp of Mount Everest. Cash-strapped Nepal earns 4 per cent of GDP through income from tourists. About 8 per cent of the nearly 1.1 million tourists who visited the country in 2019 went hiking or mountain climbing, according to official estimates. Separately, four rescue helicopters on Saturday evacuated nearly 200 trekkers in the Annapurna region about 140 of them foreigners to safer locations, police said. Their nationalities are not yet known.

Four South Korean trekkers among seven missing in Nepal avalanche

The winds of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/videos/cyclone-fani-at-its-peak-strongest-storm-in-india-since-2014-215796&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi39brbqYHiAhWTiHAKHR7RCtkQFjACegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw35SaAS3nsd0KRXJ4Z8br3W">cyclone Fani</a> were felt hundreds of miles away from where it hit the eastern coast in India, after nearly 20 tents set up at the Everest Base Camp were blown off on Friday.

The Nepalese government has issued a warning, asking all trekking agencies and support staff to ensure the safety of tourists.

"We have received reports of some tents being damaged in the strong wind, but all the climbers and their support staff are safe," said Mira Acharya, the director of the Hotel and Mountaineering section under the Department of Tourism.

"We have alerted all agencies to keep their clients [mountaineers] safe and suspend their plans until the weather improves," he added.

Strong winds coupled with light to moderate rainfall occurred in some parts of eastern Nepal, reported the Kathmandu Post.

"Nepal will not have a direct impact from the cyclone, but it will partially impact out weather systems, primarily in the eastern part of the country," said Barun Paudel, a senior meteorologist at the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MDF).

Citing bad weather due to the cyclone, National Emergency Operation Centre has asked tour operators to suspend all helicopter flights till Saturday.

Cyclone Fani made landfall in the morning of May 3 and wreaked havoc in the state of Odisha.

It has claimed three lives and left more than 160 injured, besides causing large scale destruction of property.

The winds of cyclone Fani were felt hundreds of miles away from where it hit the eastern coast in India, after nearly 20 tents set up at the Everest Base Camp were blown off on Friday.

The winds of cyclone Fani were felt hundreds of miles away from where it hit the eastern coast in India, after nearly 20 tents set up at the Everest Base Camp were blown off on Friday. The Nepalese government has issued a warning, asking all trekking agencies and support staff to ensure the safety of tourists. "We have received reports of some tents being damaged in the strong wind, but all the climbers and their support staff are safe," said Mira Acharya, the director of the Hotel and Mountaineering section under the Department of Tourism. "We have alerted all agencies to keep their clients [mountaineers] safe and suspend their plans until the weather improves," he added. Strong winds coupled with light to moderate rainfall occurred in some parts of eastern Nepal, reported the Kathmandu Post. "Nepal will not have a direct impact from the cyclone, but it will partially impact out weather systems, primarily in the eastern part of the country," said Barun Paudel, a senior meteorologist at the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MDF). Citing bad weather due to the cyclone, National Emergency Operation Centre has asked tour operators to suspend all helicopter flights till Saturday. Cyclone Fani made landfall in the morning of May 3 and wreaked havoc in the state of Odisha. It has claimed three lives and left more than 160 injured, besides causing large scale destruction of property.

Cyclone Fani blows off 20 tents at Everest base camp

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Heavy snow hampers search for missing South Korean, Nepal trekkers

Four South Korean trekkers among seven missing in Nepal avalanche

Cyclone Fani blows off 20 tents at Everest base camp