Bad weather hampers search for avalanche survivors on Everest

Bad weather frustrated efforts to rescue hundreds of climbers stranded on Mount Everest on Sunday, a day after an earthquake in Nepal triggered an avalanche in possibly the single deadliest incident on the world's highest peak.

An Indian army climbing team found 18 bodies on Saturday in the first hours after the quake, an army spokesman said.

Two helicopters were unable to reach Everest base camp on Sunday because of heavy cloud, according to Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

"As soon as the weather improves and the visibility is clear, rescue helicopters will fly there," he said.

The avalanche swept down the mountain, burying part of the base camp as climbers gathered near the main route to the summit at the beginning of the climbing season....
 [jpost.com by Reuters]
26/4/15
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Related:

• Meanwhile, an official from the Ministry of Tourism said at least 10 people, including foreign climbers, had been reportedly killed in an avalanche triggered by the quake.

• The quake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, according to climbers there, raising fears for those on the world’s highest peak a year after a massive snowslide caused the deadliest incident on the world’s highest mountain.