26 Feared Killed Near Everest

At least 26 people were feared dead Saturday after a strong avalanche struck their camp near Mount Everest.

Thirteen Japanese trekkers and 13 Nepalese, including 11 guides, were at the camp in the village of Panga on Friday night when the avalanche hit, said Takashi Miyahara of the TransHimalayan Trekking Company, which conducted the trekkers’ group.

The group was returning from the 17,655-foot high Gokyo peak, about 11 miles southwest of Everest, the world’s highest peak.

Rescuers reached the camping site on Saturday using a helicopter. “The area was completely covered by snow. We could only see rooftops of the huts where the trekkers were staying,” Miyahara said.