Three Nepali climbers were reported missing on Mount Everest after falling into a crevasse while ascending the world's highest mountain on Wednesday, marking the first such accident of the climbing season.
The trio was traversing the perilous Khumbu Icefall, carrying supplies to Camp 1, a crucial waystation on the route to the mountain's towering 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) summit.
"We are still gathering details, but we know that they were struck by an avalanche of snow this morning and are now unaccounted for in a crevasse," said Bigyan Koirala of Nepal's tourism department, according to AFP.
"Teams at the base camp are coordinating efforts for search and rescue."
The Khumbu Icefall is a treacherous and ever-shifting expanse of glacial ice that poses significant challenges for climbers as they navigate through crevasses using precarious ladders.
A helicopter dispatched for the search returned without any success in locating the missing climbers.
Nepali guides, usually from the Sherpa ethnic group hailing from the valleys around Everest, are widely regarded as the backbone of the Himalayan climbing industry. They undertake multiple perilous journeys to transport tents, food, and oxygen bottles to high-altitude camps for each expedition.
In 2014, a massive avalanche of snow, ice, and rock claimed the lives of 16 Nepali guides on the Khumbu Icefall in one of the deadliest accidents in the Himalayas.
Nepal is home to eight of the world's ten highest peaks and attracts hundreds of adventurers during the spring climbing season when temperatures are relatively warmer and winds are usually calmer. The government has issued over 500 climbing permits for various Himalayan mountains this season, including 243 for Everest.
Punch Newspaper