12 dead in Everest avalanche

At least 12 local guides have been killed after an avalanche on the slopes of Mount Everest, Nepali officials say. The avalanche struck around 06:45 local time (01:00 GMT) in an area known as the "popcorn field", just above Everest base camp at 5,800m (19,000ft). A spokesman for Nepal's tourism ministry told the BBC some missing climbers had been rescued, but more are still missing. It is thought to be the deadliest climbing tragedy on the mountain. The Sherpa guides had climbed up the slope early in the morning to fix ropes for climbers and prepare the route for mountaineers when the avalanche hit. The identities of the dead and missing have not been officially disclosed, tourism ministry spokesman, Mohan Krishna Sapkota said, according to BBC.