KATHMANDU: A search operation to find four South Korean climbers was put on hold Sunday as fresh avalanches hit a popular trekking route in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas.

An official at the South Korean Embassy in Nepal said that a rescue team reached the site and carried out a search mission but had to evacuate at around 3 p.m. on Sunday due to a new avalanche.

Local residents and police officials joined the search for four South Koreans and three Nepalis who went missing near the Annapurna base camp when an avalanche struck after heavy snowfall on Friday.

An official from Nepal’s tourism department said Sunday that fresh avalanches are making it dangerous for the search team to reach the accident site.

Meanwhile, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Kathmandu held a video conference to assess the situation and discuss measures to expedite the search operation.