A blizzard and avalanches in Nepal's Himalaya Mountains have killed hikers, guides, and herders in a popular trekking region, government officials said Wednesday. More than two dozen people are feared dead and many others remained missing days after the disaster.

Reports on the casualties varied, with rescue efforts for stranded or injured trekkers hindered by snowfall. The Nepalese Tourism Ministry reported the recovery of 23 dead bodies, including 18 foreigners, by Thursday.

The highest death toll—with more than a dozen deaths—seem to have come on Nepal's  Thorung La pass, the highest point at 17,770 feet (5,416 meters) in elevation on the Annapurna hiking circuit, says Jiban Ghimire, a guide and outfitter based in Kathmandu.

At least 250 people had registered to