[Anchor]
Four Korean nationals are missing in Nepal after an avalanche hit the Annapurna trekking route of the Himalayas.
The missing are teachers from South Chungcheong Province who were in Nepal for volunteer work.
Our Sehhyeong Kim reports.
[Reporter]
According to Seoul's foreign ministry and the Chungcheongnamdo Office of Education, the avalanche occurred around 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. on Friday at an altitude of around 3,230 meters.
Annapurna is an avalanche-prone and technically difficult mountain.
The four missing teachers are known to belong to the education office, working for elementary and middle schools in the province.
A total of 11 teachers from 10 schools left for Nepal earlier this week to take part in a volunteer work program.
Five members of the climbing party were rescued while two other teachers stayed at their accommodations due to health concerns.
The ministry has sent a rapid response team to Nepal.
Local police have dispatched officers to the scene to locate the missing.
But inclement weather is hampering search operations.
Sehhyeong Kim, eFM News.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
