In brief
A devastating avalanche in Nepal has resulted in seven Italian climbers being unaccounted for, while three others have died. The climbers were attempting to summit the Dolma Khang peak when disaster struck. Rescue efforts are underway, with coordination from both Italian and Nepali authorities.
Italy says seven of its citizens are missing in Nepal after trying to climb a Himalayan peak in the north-east of the country.
Officials confirmed the Italian team was at the base camp of Dolma Khang peak, which has an elevation of 6,332m (20,774ft), in Dolakha district.
Three other Italian climbers have been confirmed dead this week, including in an avalanche that struck close to Dolma Khang on Monday.
A senior Italian diplomat from neighbouring India has arrived in Kathmandu to coordinate with the Nepalese authorities and search teams.
Nepal has been hit by avalanches and ferocious storms in the past week, killing and injuring several climbers and their local guides.
At this stage, the local authorities have confirmed the deaths of three Italian climbers, Rome's foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Moreover, seven other Italian nationals, including Marco Di Marcello and Markus Kircheler, have gone missing in the region.
The foreign ministry stated that both Mr. Marcello and Mr. Kircheler had been in the Yalung Ri area, which was affected by the avalanche. Italian climber Paolo Cocco was also among the deceased near Yalung Ri base camp.
On Tuesday, Mr. Marcello's family informed Italy's Ansa news agency that his satellite radio signal was still transmitting and seemed to be in motion.
A Nepali tourism official, Ram Krishna Lamichhane, indicated the rescue teams were searching the base camp at Dolma Khang peak.
According to the information we have, five individuals, including three foreign climbers and two Nepali guides, are missing in the Dolma Khang base camp area, stated Mr. Lamichhane.
There have been varying reports about the number of deceased and missing climbers, along with their nationalities.
Lamichhane added that efforts were underway to coordinate with the trekking agency that organized their expedition to gather further details on the missing climbers.
In addition to Paolo Cocco, authorities have recovered the bodies of two other Italian climbers who went missing while climbing the Panbari peak in western Nepal.
Stefano Farronato and Alessandro Caputo were reported missing while attempting to scale the 6,887m peak amidst heavy snowfall.
This group had been in contact with their base camp prior to losing communication on 28 October.
Although autumn generally presents favorable conditions for climbing in Nepal, the risks of severe weather and potential avalanches remain significant. Recently, Cyclone Montha has brought heavy rain and snow, impacting climbers throughout the region.
