At least nine climbers are feared dead and six more are still missing after an avalanche struck as they climbed towards a Himalayan peak in Nepal considered one of the world's deadliest.

Two bodies have been recovered from the mountain, with seven still laying on the slopes of Mount Manaslu. A German and a Nepalese guide are two of the confirmed dead.

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Rescuers work to aid victims of the avalanche, believed to have killed at least nine people

Police official Basanta Bahadur Kuwar told AP that 10 people had survived but many of them were badly injured and being flown to hospitals by air rescue.

Heavy snow and poor conditions meant air searches for survivors or bodies were impossible on Sunday.

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A victim of the avalanche being loaded into a helicopter

The Himalyas hosts hundreds of foreign climbers every year, hoping to climb some of the world's highest mountains, including Mt Everest.

Manaslu is the eighth highest mountain in the world, but considered one of the most dangerous to scale.

At least 42 people including 17 foreigners, were killed in heavy snowfall in the Mount Everest region in 1995.