This report is from our guide who was at Everest Base Camp when avalanche sweep down Mount Everest 06:45 local time on 18 Apr 2014 en-route to camp 1, as per Nepal Government authority the dead toll till now is 12 and 6 injured – all of whom are local Sherpa guides/climbers working on logistic support. News at the base camp is that they have found 24 backpacks of Sherpas and many Sherpa are still out of contact. Moreover there is large of number of Sherpas and climbers who are trapped above the avalanche site and will takes days to make route for them to descent.
Some of the injured and bodies has been airlifted to Kathmandu and some of the dead who were from the Khumbu region and their bodies has been handed over to their relatives there. Some bodies are at Pheriche which are yet to be airlifted to Kathmandu. The bodies were airlifted from the avalanche site to Pheriche two at time due to the altitude of the site (above 5800m) and the helicopter load capacity. From Pheriche the bodies were airlifted to Kathmandu on big Russian MI17 helicopter.
The local Sherpa guide normally depart base camp early morning to avoid this particular danger section (Khumbu Ice), where they must travel beneath the hanging glacier high above the Everest west ridge. However it appear they departed the base camp bit late this morning.
This is deadliest disaster which have struck Everest just before busy spring Everest climbing season.
Rescue effort will continue tomorrow (19 Apr) and www.green-lotus-trekking.com will continue update as new of the disaster unfold.
