Confusion deepened over the fate of Italian climbers in Nepal on Wednesday as Italy's foreign ministry reported seven nationals missing, a figure disputed by Nepali authorities who said they were only aware of those already confirmed dead or involved in ongoing search operations.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement that its Consul General in Kolkata, Riccardo Dalla Costa, had arrived in Kathmandu to coordinate the search and liaison with local officials.

The ministry confirmed the deaths of three Italian climbers, Alessandro Caputo, Stefano Farronato, and Paolo Cocco, whose bodies were recovered in separate incidents on Panpari Peak in the Manaslu range and in the Yalung Ri region. It further stated that there was “no news remains of seven other Italian nationals,” including Marco Di Marcello and Markus Kirchler, who are missing in the Yalung Ri area.

However, Nepali officials countered that they have no record of these additional missing individuals.

“We don’t have records of seven missing Italian climbers,” said Himal Gautam, director at Nepal’s Department of Tourism (DoT). “They could possibly be trekkers.”

The discrepancy may stem from different permit tracking, as trekkers do not require the climbing permits that the DoT issues. The department reported issuing 28 climbing permits to Italians this autumn.

The permits were issued to diverse groups climbing some of the 59 peaks that saw expedition.

The Nepal Tourism Board, which tracks trekkers, said 2,705 Italians received trekking permits in October but could not confirm if any were among the unaccounted for.

Complicating the situation, a statement from the Dolakha District Administration Office identified one of the missing, Marco Di Marcello, as a Canadian national.

The Dolakha District Administration Office has confirmed that only five people remain missing, one of whom, Marco Di Marcello, has been identified as a Canadian national. (above)

The confusion underscores persistent coordination challenges in high-altitude rescues, where communication is often severely limited.

The confirmed deaths occurred in two separate mountain accidents.

In Gorkha district, police said the bodies of Stefano Farronato, 51, and Alessandro Caputo, 28, members of the Italian Panpari Q7 Expedition, were recovered on Tuesday from Camp I on Mount Panpari.

They had been trapped by heavy snowfall since October 28. Deputy Superintendent Raj Kumar Shrestha said team leader Velter Perlino was rescued on Sunday along with three Nepali guides.

In the Yalung Ri area of Dolakha, the body of Paolo Cocco, who was climbing with Dreamers Destination, has been recovered. Two other Italians from his team, Marco Di Marcello and Markus Kirchler, remain missing. The duo were clients of Dreamers Treks and Himalayan Treks respectively.

Phurba Tenjing Sherpa of Dreamers Destination Treks, who has been involved in the rescue since an avalanche hit the area, said all foreign clients, except three French, rescued from the site are presumed dead. “Five of those buried by avalanche were foreigners,” he said.

Rescue efforts have been hampered by deep snow and poor visibility.

A specialized team from the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association was deployed to the avalanche site on Wednesday, but progress has been slow.

The Italian ministry said it remains in close contact with local authorities despite the "extremely challenging" communication conditions.

Statement by the government of Italy