Indian Army Everest team pulls out bodies of 19 foreign climbers

An Indian Army Everest Expedition team was training at the Base Camp at Everest when a massive temblor hit Nepal on Saturday, triggering an avalanche that buried their equipment. The Indian Army team is safe and has helped pull out the bodies of 19 foreign climbers from the Everest camp.

The team also brought to safety 61 injured people.

The medical officer accompanying the army expedition has treated a number of injured international mountaineers besides the 61 injured climbers.

The team also provided considerable medicines and rations from their own resources to help the other climbers.

Six helicopters were sent to the avalanche-hit area on Saturday, but only two could operate because of inclement weather.

"Indian Army expedition team continues to assist in rescue operations," the ministry of defence spokesperson Sitanshu Kar tweeted.

Tulsi Prasad Gautam, executive director of Nepal's department of tourism, told Xinhua that a few of the injured climbers were being treated in Pheriche village near Lukla.

Other climbers were on their way down from the base camp, Gautam said.

Saturday's earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, killed over 2,500 people and left 5,850 injured. The temblor had its epicentre in Lamjung district, around 75 km northwest of Kathmandu.

It also triggered a series of avalanches which hit Mount Everest base camp.