SATV Kathmandu Nov 04: Three climbers, including a foreign national, have died and eight others have gone missing after an avalanche struck near the base camp of Yalung Ri Mountain in Rolwaling, Gaurishankar Rural Municipality-9, Dolakha, on Sunday morning.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Gyan Kumar Mahato, a team of 15, comprising foreign climbers and Nepali guides, was hit by the avalanche around 9 a.m. while heading toward Yalung Ri, part of the Gaurishankar and Rolwaling mountain range. The condition of several climbers remains unknown.

Ward Chairperson Nimgeli Sherpa said rescue efforts were delayed despite repeated calls to the authorities early in the morning. Permission issues for flying helicopters in the restricted Rolwaling region further slowed the response, he added.

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.