2 Dead, 7 Missing After Mt. Everest Avalanche
By Ed Payne, Manesh Shrestha and Dave Alsup , CNN updated 1:35 AM EDT, Fri April 18, 2014 Climbers and guides were preparing for the spring climbing season. STORY HIGHLIGHTS The deadliest year on Mt. Everest was 1996, when 15 people died More than 300 climbers have been given permission to tackle Everest this spring About 400 Sherpas will help them Climbers and guides had been preparing the route to the summit (CNN) -- Two Sherpa guides were killed and seven others were missing Friday after a high-altitude avalanche on Mt. Everest, officials said. A group of about 50 people, mostly Nepali Sherpas, were hit by the avalanche at more than 20,000 feet, according to Tilak Ram Pandey, with the mountaineering department of the tourism ministry. The avalanche took place just above base camp in the Khumbu Ice Fall. The climbers were accounted for, Pandey said. "Rescue teams have gone ... to look for the missing." Readying for clim b ...