A climber from South Korea has passed away in Nepal after being caught in a severe storm while trying to ascend a Himalayan mountain located just south of Mount Everest. At the same time, hundreds of hikers have started evacuating after extreme weather conditions left them stranded in the area.

The Nepal Mountaineering Association confirmed on Tuesday the death of the South Korean climber. He had been missing since the weekend close to the summit of Mera Peak, a 21,250-foot peak in the northern Himalayas. Other climbers on the mountain have been confirmed safe.

This incident occurred as heavy snow and rain trapped hundreds of hikers near Everest. One hiker, identified only by the last name Dong, shared with China’s Xiaoxiang Morning Herald that he had never experienced such an intense storm, highlighting the severe snowfall and lightning.

By late Monday, 350 individuals had managed to descend safely, while over 200 more were being directed to a specified meeting location, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Many had entered the remote area after seeing it promoted on social media, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

In this October 1996 file photo, Mount Everest is seen from the Gokyo Ri peak in Nepal. (AP)

Search operations, which included the use of drones, started on Sunday after reports came in of hikers being trapped in Laohugou, a valley in Menyuan county. The high-altitude search, conducted at over 13,100 feet, has faced challenges due to difficult terrain, ongoing snow, and swiftly changing weather, state media reported.