Three Americans among seven killed when avalanche obliterates Himalayan climbers’ base camp

Three American climbers have died after an avalanche slammed into their base camp in the Himalayas, Nepalese media reports.

Seven people died in total, including one Canadian, one Italian, and two Nepali nationals, a police official told The Kathmandu Post.

Police said four other climbers had gone missing on Yalung Ri Himal mountain, which rises to 5,630 metres (18,470 feet) in the Dolakha district northeast of Kathmandu.

Four injured climbers were evacuated to a nearby village and a search for the missing climbers, including by helicopter, was continuing, police official Gyan Kumar Mahato said.

‘We have also dispatched ground search-and-rescue teams from the army and police and are awaiting (developments).’

The official said that a team of 15, made up of foreign climbers and Nepali guides, got caught up in the avalanche at around 9am local time Monday as they were heading towards Yalung Ri.

The peak is located in the Rolwaling Valley of northeastern Nepal and climbers there encounter a mix of rock, ice and snow.

A team of 15 got caught up in the avalanche at around 9am local time Monday, officials said. File image shows a peak on the Nepal-Tibet border

Security agencies, including the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force, have been mobilized for search and rescue operations.

A helicopter was dispatched but could not reach the site due to adverse weather conditions, police said.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow.