Avalanche kills climbers in Nepal

Nine mountain climbers are believed to have died and six more climbers are missing in Nepal after an avalanche occurred on a Himalayan peak. The avalanche struck a base camp near the summit.

The BBC reports that two bodies have been found and up to seven others bodies are suspected to be buried under snow on the slopes of Mount Manaslu, which is located to north of Nepal. One of the problems is that it is not known how many people were in the climbing party. The Times notes that the camp was located at 7,000 meters (22,960 feet). The climbers were undertaking preparations to ascend to the summit. Authorities in Nepal have reported that ten people survived the avalanche, although some of the survivors are badly injured. The survivors have been airlifted to hospital. The Daily Mirror notes that search has been abandoned for the time being due to a deterioration with the weather conditions. The Himalayas in Nepal has eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest. The particular mountain where the avalanche occurred - Manaslu - is the eighth highest in the world.