Mt. Everest avalanche kills 14 Nepali guides

Kathmandu: At least 14 Nepali mountaineering guides have been killed after an avalanche on the slopes of Mount Everest, 5800 meters above  Everest base camp. According to the officials, six mountain guides are still missing in the worst accident on Mt. Everest. Helicopters have been sent for search and rescue operation to the area.

The Sherpa guides were in the avalanche hit area early in the Friday morning (April 18, 2014) to prepare route for mountaineers climbing the world's highest Himalaya this spring season.

According to Nepal Mountaineering Association, an avalanche hit Khubuche area, near Camp 1 at the height of 5800m, of Mt Everest this morning at 6:30 am, killing at least 14 mountaineers, most of them Sherpas.

Some of the victims have been rescued and brought down to the base camp, and rescue operation is underway.

The avalanche came sweeping from the Khubuche Icefall and hammered over at tents of Sherpas, who were heading to Camp I to ferry logistics and fix ropes for the climbers of different expedition teams.The site is at an elevation of 5,800 metre, in between the base camp and Camp I. At least five persons have been rescued alive and are brought to the base camp where they are receiving primary treatment, said Lakpa Sherpa, a local medical staff. More than 334 foreign mountaineers have been given permission to climb Everest in the spring season of 2014.