April 20 , 2014

Updated at: 3:30 pm

As many as 12 mountaineering workers were killed when an avalanche swept away climbing parties at 5,800 meters, just below Camp II, of Mt Everest on Friday morning.

Dipendra Poudel of Trekking and Mountaineering Section under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) confirmed the deaths.

The identity of the deceased, however, is yet to be ascertained. Poudel, however, said all the deceased were Nepali mountaineering workers.

“Around 15 persons were swept away by the avalanche. We have recovered 12 bodies so far,” Poudel said.

He said rescue mission was underway under the coordination of the contact office at the Everest Base Camp that the tourism ministry started from this season. “Liaisons officers, personnel of Nepal Army and Armed Police Force as well as guides from Nepal National Mountain Guides Association (NNMGA) Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) and icefall doctors are involved in rescue operations,” he added.

Mountaineering workers of as many as six expeditions were swept away by the avalanche. “These expeditions were organized by operators like Alpine Ascent, Summit Nepal, Himalayan Guides and Beyul, among others,” added Poudel.

(Updates are coming)

(Note: We inadvertently used 'mountain guides' instead of 'mountaineering workers' in this post which has now been corrected. The error is regretted.)