The trekkers were part of an Everest expedition

The Israeli embassy identified the missing Israeli as Hevlin Noan.

Rescue workers have been airlifted to the area and are being assisted by local sherpas to dig through the snow.

"The team will first comb the riverside and other places to see if it can find anyone alive," Himalayan Rescue Association official, Prakash Adhikari said.

The group was walking ahead of the main expedition when it disappeared.

Police suspect the four may have been buried in a snow avalanche near Deurali, some 260 km north-west of the capital Kathmandu and at a height of nearly 2,800 metres.

The trekkers were on their way back from the Annapurna base camp to Pokhara, a popular tourist hub.

Bad weather

Reports say heavy snowfall and rain in the Annapurna region on Friday could have triggered the avalanche.

The Australian Ambassador to Nepal, Crispin Conroy, is on his way to the area.

"The Australian Embassy in Nepal is giving top priority to the incident," a spokesman for the Australian department of foreign affairs said.

"The ambassador has been in contact with local authorities and is en route to the scene. The next of kin have been advised and are being provided with assistance by departmental officials."

The expedition, which left Australia two weeks ago for the two-month expedition in Nepal, was due to climb Mount Everest at the end of the month.

"All other members of the expedition, including the climbing team, are reported safe and are returning to Kathmandu to regroup and consider the future of the expedition," the Australian defence department said.

The Annapurna base camp lies along a trekking route that is popular among international mountaineers.

Thousands of tourists visit western Nepal to trek on the Himalayas at this time of year.