A search operation to find four South Korean trekkers and three Nepali guides was put on hold Sunday as fresh avalanches hit a popular trekking route in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas.

An official at the South Korean Embassy in Nepal said that a rescue team reached the site and carried out a search mission but had to evacuate at around 3 p.m. on Sunday due to a new avalanche.

Local residents and police officials joined the search for the South Koreans and Nepalis who went missing near the Annapurna base camp when an avalanche struck after heavy snowfall on Friday. 

An official from Nepal's tourism department said Sunday that fresh avalanches are making it dangerous for the search team to reach the accident site. 

Nepali media reports said that Sunday's search effectively ended as it was hard to continue after 4 p.m. local time.

Meanwhile, Seoul's Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Kathmandu held a video conference to assess the situation and discuss measures to expedite the search operation.