Fifteen high-altitude Sherpa guides including base camp cooks were killed by an Everest avalanche on Friday morning, the deadliest single mountaineering accident ever on the world's highest peak. At least eight people have been rescued, some of them with serious frost-bite injuries.
Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa of the Himalayan Rescue Association said 12 bodies were retrieved from the avalanche site by Friday noon, while three were still buried beneath the snow. However, the Tourism Ministry confirmed 12 deaths and four missing.
Lhakpa said that bodies were buried under more than three meters of snow. The avalanche struck around 6:45am in an area known as the "popcorn field", just above the Everest base camp, at 5,800m. The group of Sherpa guides and base camp cooks had headed out from the base camp at 3:00am carrying food and ropes to Camps 1 and 2. The rescue officials reached the site 45 minutes later.
"As bad weather coupled with strong winds prevented rescue efforts, the remaining bodies will be retrieved on Saturday," said Lhakpa. One of the injured, 24-year-old Furi Sherpa, has been brought to the Capital for treatment, while others are receiving care at a hospital in Lukla, the gateway to the Everest region. All the bodies were airlifted to Lukla on Friday noon.
Wanchu Sherpa, president of the Everest Summiteers Association, said Friday's avalanche is on "a very treacherous route' that has claimed many climbers over the years. In 1973, a dozen Sherpa climbers were killed when the ice route in the section caved-in, Wanchu said. "Unfor-tunately, there is no alternative to this route and the climbers who are aware of this always watch their steps."
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Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa of the Himalayan Rescue Association said 12 bodies were retrieved from the avalanche site by Friday noon, while three were still buried beneath the snow. However, the Tourism Ministry confirmed 12 deaths and four missing.
Lhakpa said that bodies were buried under more than three meters of snow. The avalanche struck around 6:45am in an area known as the "popcorn field", just above the Everest base camp, at 5,800m. The group of Sherpa guides and base camp cooks had headed out from the base camp at 3:00am carrying food and ropes to Camps 1 and 2. The rescue officials reached the site 45 minutes later.
"As bad weather coupled with strong winds prevented rescue efforts, the remaining bodies will be retrieved on Saturday," said Lhakpa. One of the injured, 24-year-old Furi Sherpa, has been brought to the Capital for treatment, while others are receiving care at a hospital in Lukla, the gateway to the Everest region. All the bodies were airlifted to Lukla on Friday noon.
Wanchu Sherpa, president of the Everest Summiteers Association, said Friday's avalanche is on "a very treacherous route' that has claimed many climbers over the years. In 1973, a dozen Sherpa climbers were killed when the ice route in the section caved-in, Wanchu said. "Unfor-tunately, there is no alternative to this route and the climbers who are aware of this always watch their steps."
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