Eight climbers killed in Nepal's avalanche

KATHMANDU - Eight climbers, including five South Korean nationals, who were part of a trekking expedition, have been killed after an avalanche buried the base camp of Mount Gurja in western Nepal, police and authorities said here on Saturday.

"Five South Korean nationals and three others were found dead after the avalanche followed by snowstorm buried the base camp of Mount Gurja," Birbahadur Buda Magar, deputy superintendent of police of Myagdi district in Gandaki Pradesh, quoted local eyewitnesses as saying.

Another person has gone missing in the incident, Magar said.

Wangchu Sherpa, the managing director at the Trekking Camp Nepal, which is the expedition company of the team, confirmed to local Himalayan Times online that team leader along with their support staff were killed in the incident.

"Local eyewitnesses have told us by phone that eight dead bodies are found scattered around the base-camp. Rescue teams are yet to reach the site," the police official told Xinhua from the district headquarters.

A helicopter with rescuers was sent to the site Saturday morning, but it failed to land at the base camp due to bad weather, Magar said.

He said that the rescue operation will start later in the afternoon once the weather condition is improved.