Earthquake kills Mt. Everest climbers

This is just something that you would never expect to happen.

The powerful Nepal earthquake Saturday triggered an avalanche that killed eight people on Mount Everest, the worlds tallest mountain.

An official with Nepal's mountaineering department says the bodies of eight people have been recovered on Everest.

Gyanendra Shretha said an unknown number of people remain missing or injured.

Big #earthquake just now in Everest BC. Lots of rock and ice falling. We all ok. Hoping more exposed South Side also ok. #Everest2015

— Adrian Ballinger (@alpenglowexp) April 25, 2015

Sky News reported the "huge avalanche" partially buried the Everest Base Camp, raising fears the death toll could rise.

"The toll could go up, it may include foreigners as well as sherpas," Shretha said.

A Massive earthquake just hit Everest. Basecamp has been severely damaged. Our team is caught in camp 1. Please pray for everyone.

— Daniel Mazur (@danielmazur) April 25, 2015

Panicked climbers sent tweets after the avalanche struck the camp.

"Everest base camp huge earthquake then huge avalanche from humour. Running for life from my tent. Unhurt. Many many people up the mountain, "Romanian mountaineer Alex Gavan tested.

Aftershock! #Everest team is in camp 1, hanging on. #Icefall route destroyed.

— Daniel Mazur (@danielmazur) April 25, 2015

Later, Gavan pleaded for helicopters to rescue the injured.

"Huge disaster," he tweets. "Helped searched and rescued victims through huge debris area. Many dead. Much more badly injured. More to die if not heli as soon as possible. "

Another climber Daniel Mazur of Great Britain, said the base camp had been "severely damaged."

"Our team is caught in camp 1," he tweets. "Please pray for us."

Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association said the avalanche occurred between the Khumbu Icefall, a rugged area of collapsed ice and snow, and the base camp where most climbing expeditions have their main camps.

Carsten Lillelund Pedersen, a Dane who is climbing the Everest with a Belgian climber Jelle Veyt, said on his Facebook page that they were at Khumbu Icefall, a rugged area of collapsed ice and snow close to base camp at altitude 16, 500 feet when the earthquake hit.

He wrote on Facebook that they have started to receive the injured, including one person with the most severe injuries who sustained many fractures.

"He was blown away by the avalanche and broke both legs. For the camps closer to where the avalanche hit, our Sherpas believe that a lot of people may have been buried in their tents, "he wrote in English.

"There is now a steady flow of people fleeing basecamp in hope of more security further down the mountain."

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