At least, seven climbers were killed after being hit by an avalanche on Mount Yalung Ri in eastern Nepal on Monday morning, according to media reports.

The victims were reportedly part of a 15-person expedition group.

The dead include one climber each from Canada and Italy, as well as two Nepalese nationals, the Kathmandu Post cited deputy police chief Gyan Kumar Mahato as saying.

Search operations have been hampered by poor weather and low visibility, Mahato said. Police officers and soldiers have been deployed to assist with the search.

Additionally, the five foreign climber group reportedly included 10 Nepali mountain guides and porters, several of whom remain missing.

Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres, including Mount Everest.

Neamwhile, Yalung Ri, at 5,630 metres, lies in a section of the Himalayas known as the Rolwaling Himal and is considered a relatively beginner-friendly mountain for climbers.