Among those unaccounted for are hikers, climbers, and tourists from across the world, many of whom travel to Nepal to take on some of the world's highest peaks, as well as Hindu devotees visiting the Himalayan nation on pilgrimage

The three fugitives — Jaspreet Singh, Ajay Singh and Pawandeep Singh — are accused of involvement in several criminal cases, including alleged extortion, cross-border arms and narcotics trafficking, and a foiled grenade attack in Ludhiana, Punjab, officials said