The avalanche hit a group of 15 climbers as they were ascending the 5,630-meter (18,471-foot) peak, burying several under the snow, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Four members of the expedition remain missing.
“The avalanche buried everyone on the slope,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Gyan Kumar Mahato in a statement. “We received the information late, and difficult weather conditions delayed the rescue operation.”
Among the victims were three French climbers, one Canadian, one Italian, and two Nepali nationals. Four injured Nepali climbers have been airlifted to safety, while search efforts continue for the missing members.
Yalung Ri is located in the Rolwaling Valley of northeastern Nepal, and climbers there encounter a mix of rock, ice and snow.
Before Monday’s tragedy, the valley had experienced continuous snow and poor weather conditions for several days, according to the Kathmandu Post.
Mahato, the police officer, said helicopters could not be flown in the area due to heavy snowfall and clouds but an aircraft finally reached the area on Monday evening.
He added that rescue teams on foot have also been dispatched to the area, and that the search operation would resume on Tuesday morning.
Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, including Mount Everest, and welcomes hundreds of climbers and trekkers every year.
Autumn expeditions on the Himalayan mountains in October and November are less popular because of the shorter, colder days, snowy terrain and a narrow summit window compared with the busy spring season, which runs from April to May.
Last week, Cyclone Montha triggered heavy rain and snowfall across Nepal, leaving trekkers and tourists stranded on popular Himalayan trekking routes.
Separately, two Italian climbers have also gone missing while scaling a remote peak in western Nepal, tourism officials said on Monday.
