KATHMANDU: A helicopter is set to fly to Yalung Ri peak in the Rolwaling Valley in a couple of hours today to collect mortal remains from the area where a massive avalanche struck a team of international climbers last year.

Ngima Geli Sherpa, ward chair of Gaurishankar Rural Municipality, confirmed that local workers spotted at least five bodies at around 5,000 metres on Thursday. "Local workers who were in the village to construct houses hiked to Yalung Ri base camp and spotted the mortal remains," he said.

Upon request from expedition organisers and the families of the missing, the workers hiked to the mountain, he added. The bodies were uncovered after ice melted at the avalanche site, Sherpa quoted locals as saying.

A helicopter carrying the recovery team is flying to the area from Kathmandu soon, Sherpa said, adding that the bodies could be those of the five climbers who went missing in the avalanche that struck the Yalung Ri climbing route on November 3 last year. In that incident, seven climbers, including five foreigners, were buried; five others were injured.

Italian-Canadian Marco Di Marcello, Italian Markus Kirchler, German Jakob Schreiber, and Nepali guides Padam Tamang and Mere Karki were reported missing in the avalanche. The search team had previously only found the bodies of Italian climber Paolo Cocco and French national Christian Andre Manfredi, who were recovered on November 5.

(Updates to follow)