KATHMANDU, Oct 27, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A mountaineer from France and another from South Korea died during expeditions to Nepal's Mount Ama Dablam, a picturesque but difficult peak to climb, a tourism director said Monday.

French climber Hugo Lucio Colonia Lazaro, 65, fell sick while descending the 6,812-metre (22,349-foot) peak last week.

"He was flown to Kathmandu on a helicopter on Wednesday and passed away the next day," Tourism Department Director Himal Gautam told AFP.

South Korean climber Hong Khy Park, 66, died between Camp 1 and Camp 2 while ascending Mount Ama Dablam on Saturday, according to the department, which did not specify the cause of death.

"Our department has been consulting with concerned agencies to take back their dead bodies to their respective countries," said Gautam.

Ama Dablam, which lies in Nepal's Khumbu region, is considered a technically challenging mountain with steep faces.

Nearly 400 climbers were on the mountain this autumn season, which usually runs from late August to November.

Home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest, Nepal welcomes hundreds of climbers every year.

Autumn expeditions on the Himalayas are less popular because of the shorter, colder days, snowy terrain and a narrow summit window compared to the busy spring.