Eight climbers dead after violent snowstorm on Nepal's Himalayan peak Mount Gurja

A least eight climbers have died after a violent storm swept through their camp on a Himalayan peak in Nepal.

Five South Korean climbers and four Nepalese guides were on Mount Gurja when the storm swept through their base camp, officials said.

A rescue helicopter at the scene confirmed seeing the bodies of eight people in the ruins of the camp, but was unable to land due to bad weather conditions

"Five South Korean climbers are dead, three Nepalese nationals are also dead. One Nepali guide is missing," police spokesman Sailesh Thapa told the BBC.

One of the South Korean climbers has been identified by local media as Kim Chang-ho, who in 2013 became the fastest person to reach the summit of the world's 14 highest mountains without using supplemental oxygen.

Wangchu Sherpa, of the Trekking Camp Nepal agency, said the rescue helicopter sent to look for the climbers could not land due to poor visibility.

"Our rescue operation is continuing and we are trying to find details," he said.

It is unlikely the weather will clear on Saturday and the base camp is at least one-day trek from the nearest village.

A police team is also heading towards the base camp on foot and is likely to reach there on Sunday.

The climbers were attempting to scale the 7,193-metre (23,590-foot) peak during the autumn climbing season.