Italy says seven of its citizens are missing in Nepal after trying to climb a Himalayan peak in the north-east of the country.
Officials said the Italian team was at the base camp of Dolma Khang peak, which has an elevation of 6,332m (20,774ft), in Dolakha district.
Three other Italian climbers have been confirmed dead this week, including in an avalanche that struck close to Dolma Khang on Monday.
A senior Italian diplomat from neighbouring India has arrived in Kathmandu to coordinate with the Nepalese authorities and search teams.
Nepal has been hit by avalanches and ferocious storms in the past week, killing and injuring a number of climbers and their local guides.
At this stage, the local authorities have confirmed the deaths of three Italian climbers, Rome's foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
There remains no news of seven other Italian nationals, including Marco Di Marcello and Markus Kircheler.
The foreign ministry reported that both Mr. Marcello and Mr. Kircheler were in the Yalung Ri area where Monday's avalanche struck. Italian Paolo Cocco was among those already confirmed dead near the Yalung Ri base camp.
On Tuesday, Marcello's family noted that his satellite radio was still active and appeared to be in motion.
A Nepali tourism official, Ram Krishna Lamichhane, mentioned ongoing communications with rescue teams at Dolma Khang peak.
There have been conflicting reports regarding the number of dead and missing climbers and their nationalities in recent days.
As well as Cocco, two other climbers, Stefano Farronato and Alessandro Caputo, were lost at Panbari peak in western Nepal and have been confirmed dead.
This group was granted climbing permission but lost contact with the base camp following heavy snowfall on 28 October.
Autumn generally attracts many trekkers and climbers; however, severe weather and avalanche risks continue to be a significant concern.
Last week, Cyclone Montha resulted in heavy rain and snowfall across the region, complicating rescue operations.
