KATHMANDU • Heavy snow, chilling winds and poor visibility hampered yesterday's search for four South Koreans and three Nepalis caught in an avalanche in the popular Annapurna region of the Himalayas.

Even as the search continues under poor visibility, relatives of the missing South Koreans have arrived in Kathmandu together with several officials from Seoul to help with the emergency rescue efforts, said Mr Ang Dorjee Sherpa of the Korean Alpine Federation.

The missing group was near the Annapurna base camp around 3,230m above sea level when the avalanche struck after heavy snowfall last Friday. "Search and rescue efforts are under way but weather and snow in the area has made it difficult to make much progress," said Ms Mira Acharya of Nepal's tourism department.

Helicopters were sent out last Saturday to rescue about 200 people stranded around Annapurna and other nearby mountains after the incident.

Photos from the area shared on social media showed guesthouses along the trekking route blanketed in a thick layer of snow.

Mr Tek Gurung, a guesthouse owner aiding in the search operation, said more than 2m of snow had fallen on the hiking trails.

"We have been searching since yesterday but have not found anything yet. It is very windy and snowy here; to search the snow-covered areas on foot is difficult," he said. "There are still masses of snow falling from above."

Six of the missing were part of the same expedition, while one Nepali porter was escorting a different group. The four foreigners - two men and two women - were part of an 11-member team of South Koreans. The rest of the team are unhurt and have safely come down.

Education officials in Seoul said they were part of a team of volunteer teachers working with children in Nepal. Two more South Koreans had flown to Nepal to help with the search, said the South's Foreign Ministry.

According to Mr Sherpa, it had snowed heavily around Annapurna in recent days, making the trek risky. "The weather and snow got worse and, feeling it was becoming dangerous and difficult, they decided to turn. As they were heading back, the avalanche hit," he said.

Annapurna is an avalanche-prone and technically difficult mountain range with a higher death rate than Everest, the world's highest peak. Thousands of trekkers visit the route every year for its stunning views of the Himalayas.

A snowstorm killed about 40 people on the circuit in 2014, in one of the biggest trekking tragedies to hit Nepal.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE