Mingma Gyalje Sherpa said that 10 climbers vanished after an avalanche slammed into the Himlung Himal base camp in western Nepal on Sunday morning.
The 7,126‑metre peak sits in Manang district, straddling the border with Tibet, and is notorious for sudden weather shifts.
Sherpa added that two kitchen staff were among the missing, and that the mountain team had evacuated most of its rope‑fixing crew following a weather warning issued a week earlier.
Despite the warning, a handful of climbers stayed, hoping the storm would clear, but the avalanche tore through the camp, leaving the fate of the missing unknown.
Earlier this month, heavy snowfall and rain across Nepal forced the Department of Tourism to halt trekking and mountaineering, citing the risk of avalanches and road closures.
Rescue teams have begun a search, but the rugged terrain and continuing bad weather threaten to delay the operation, prompting authorities to issue a travel advisory for the region.