The Korean Alpine Association said Thursday two members of a five-man South Korean climbing expedition have been reported missing in the aftermath of an avalanche in the Himalayas.

Park Joo-hoon, 34, and Hwang Sun-duk, 26, were hit by the avalanche at 12:20 p.m. Sunday as they were scaling Mount Lhotse Shar in eastern Nepal.

The three other members of the group, including leader Um Hong-gil, 43, along with local rescue teams searched in vain for any trace of the missing climbers.

Association officials believe the two have perished in the avalanche, and said chances were slim that the bodies would be found.

Um, Hong Sun-duk, 33, and a Sherpa guide returned safely to their base camp and plan to return to the Nepalese capital of Katmandu over the weekend.

The five South Koreans were nearing the summit of the 8,400 meter mountain when the avalanche struck. This was Um's second unsuccessful bid to scale the peak.

Kwon Chun-shik became the first South Korean to climb the mountain in 1989.