Heavy snow hampers search for missing South Korean, Nepal trekkers

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

Relatives of themissingKoreans have arrived in Kathmandu alongside several officials sent by Seoul to help with the emergency rescue efforts, Ang Dorjee Sherpa of theKoreanAlpine Federation said.

Themissinggroup was near the Annapurna base camp around 3,230 meters (10,600 feet) above sea level when the avalanche struck afterheavysnowfall on Friday.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"Searchand rescue efforts are underway but weather andsnowin the area have made it difficult to make much progress," said Mira Acharya fromNepal'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 ofsnow.

Tek Gurung, a guesthouse owner aiding in thesearchoperation, said more than two meters ofsnow(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, tosearchthesnow-covered areas on foot is difficult," Gurung said.

"There are still masses ofsnowfalling from above."

[ Trekkers arrive after a rescue operation from the Annapurna circuit (Courtesy: AFP) ]

Six of themissingwere 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 SouthKoreannationals.

"The rest of the team are unhurt and have safely come down. We are coordinating to make thesearchoperation 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 inNepal.

Two more South Koreans were due to arrive inNepalon Sunday to help with thesearch, the country's foreign ministry said.

Sherpa said it had snowed heavily around Annapurna in recent days, making the trek risky.

"The weather andsnowgot worse and, feeling it was becoming dangerous and difficult, they decided to turn. As they were heading back the avalanche hit," Sherpa saidon Saturday.

Annapurna is an avalanche-prone and technically difficult mountain range with a higher death rate than Everest, the world's highest peak.

Thousands oftrekkersvisit the route every year for its stunning views of the Himalayas.

Asnowstormkilled about 40 people on the circuit in 2014, in one of the biggest trekking tragedies to hitNepal.