Six climbers killed, nine missing at Everest

Six climbers were killed Friday in an avalanche on Mount Everest, while nine other climbers have gone missing.

The 15 climbers were heading towards an Everest Base Camp in Solukhumbu region when the accident took place, Xinhua reported.

The four bodies have been recovered from the avalanche site, but have not been identified yet.

The heavy snowfall has created difficulty in the search for nine Nepali sherpa climbers who are missing since the avalanche hit their base camp.

"We have demanded two heliometers to search and rescue the missing climbers but due to the heavy snowfall, the task has been affected," Lama Kaji Sherpa, general secretary of the rescue committee, told Xinhua over the telephone.

The avalanche hit the area just below the Base Camp 2 around 6.30 a.m. Friday, said Madhu Sudan Burlakoti, joint secretary from the ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation.

Most of those who died are Nepali Sherpas who were there to make technical preparations for the climbing season beginning next week.

The local Sherpas are renowned in the international climbing community for their experience at very high altitude, making them expert guides and porters for foreign mountaineers.

Hundreds of climbers and their guides have gathered at the base camp to get acclimatised before starting the climb at the world's highest peak early next month.

According to a official report at least 334 permits for Mount Qomolangma as the Everest is known in Tibet have been issued this year, compared to 329 issued at the opening of the spring climbing season last year.