Rescue teams are searching for missing expedition workers after an avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal, a 7,126-metre (23,380-foot) peak in north-central Nepal, on Sunday morning.
At least two people were killed and between 12 and 14 others remain missing, according to reports. Conflicting figures have emerged from different sources on the exact number of missing persons.
At least 10 people have been rescued from the mountain, which lies near the border with Tibet in the Manang district.
The two victims were climbing guides. Their remains were airlifted on Monday to Kathmandu airport and transported to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
"Two bodies were found as rescuers worked until 6pm (12:30 GMT) last night," said Tul Singh Gurung, president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association. "The search continues for 14 expedition workers who are still missing."
The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association also confirmed: "There were a total of 14 kitchen staff members and two climbing guides from different companies who were missing. The two climbing guides have been found, but sadly, both were found deceased."
A team of eight mountain guides is involved in the search operation, Gurung added.
All those killed or missing were Nepali nationals. They had been at the base camp preparing for foreign clients ahead of the autumn climbing season, which began this month.
Local police said at least 22 people were at the base camp when the avalanche struck. Bibhuti Chand Thakur, head of trekking company Himalayan Holidays Nepal, said search and rescue operations were under way. "The chance of survival remains high because of fresh snow," he said, noting that the remote location and disrupted communications made it difficult to confirm the exact number of missing or survivors.
The avalanche followed several days of heavy rain and snowfall across the region. Flooding and landslides were also reported in the Manang district over the weekend, caused by heavy rainfall, according to the district administration.
Authorities had warned of severe weather across Nepal over the weekend. Rain has affected much of the country since Thursday, with snowfall reported in higher northern regions. The conditions disrupted roads and trekking routes, and authorities suspended climbing and trekking activities on several mountains.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 21 other people were killed and five more are missing in different parts of the country between Thursday and Sunday.
Nepal is still recovering from devastating flooding in August that killed more than 1,400 people. According to the authority, 5,500 people remain missing from that disaster and 13,795 had been rescued.
Researchers from the World Weather Attribution group said in a report released last week that the August flooding was not caused by a single extreme weather event but rather a "compound crisis" shaped by long-term warming, glacier retreat, permafrost thaw and geological instability.
Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 mountains higher than 8,000 metres, and trekking and mountaineering tourism is vital to the country's economy.
