Helicopter rescues continue at Mt. Everest where around more than a hundred of mountain climbers are still stuck. This after a huge avalanche was caused by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal on Saturday. Despite earlier predictions that rescue may be delayed for two days due to hindrances, more survivors were able to make it safely on ground.
According to a report, airlifts started on Sunday morning prioritizing the most injured. Most of them at the base camp were safely evacuated by afternoon. However, there were still around more than a hundred mountain climbers trapped by the icefall on the upper parts of the mountain.
The snow landslide was caused by the earthquake that striked near Nepal's capital city Katmandu on Saturday. The avalanche has damaged the paths which could mean climbers would have to wait for two days before aid could come. This is because tracks still have to be cleared. Aside from the damaged route, continuous aftershocks were seen as an obstacle. Another mountaineer at the base camp believed that getting that big number of people on a chopper will not be easy.
However, on Monday, because of good weather, the rest of the climbers who were trapped at camps 1 and 2 due to the avalanche caused by the earthquake in Nepal were successfully airlifted. A report said three helicopters safely made it to the camps which are more than 20,000 feet high. Due to the high altitude, only 2 people were accommodated per flight.
As of Saturday, the death toll in Mt. Everest has reached to at least 17. The number of injured has been reported to climb to 61 according to a source. This does not include an unknown number of people believed to be missing.
Information as to whether all of the trapped mountain climbers at Mt. Everest have made it on ground safely is still being awaited. Aside from the avalanche incident caused by the earthquake, thousands more are confirmed dead in other parts of Nepal and its neighbouring countries.
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