Kathmandu, May 3 : Four women and a man were reported missing following an avalanche in Nepal's Darchula district, a local official said. Initially as many as 12 people were reported missing after the avalanche struck at 2.45 p.m. on Tuesday, but seven made contact with the local administration later, Kiran Joshi, the chief district officer, told Xinhua news agency. "Five people are still missing. We're still unaware about their whereabouts. A team of rescuers have reached the incident site," Joshi added. The officer said that rescue operation was hampered by continuous rain and snowfall. "We're planning to send a helicopter for the rescue operation on Wednesday if the weather improves," Joshi added. The locals were collecting yarsagumba, a caterpillar fungus, when they were struck by the avalanche, the official noted. /IANS