KATHMANDU, Nepal - Three Sherpa climbers went missing Wednesday after falling into a deep chasm on Mount Everest's hazardous area just above base camp, according to a Nepalese mountaineering official.
They plunged into the crevasse, which is estimated to be 50 meters (160 feet) deep, on Wednesday morning while on their way to the first camp on the world's tallest peak, according to Yubraj Khatiwada of Nepal's Department of Mountaineering.
He stated that a rescue aircraft was attempting to locate them as rescuers searched on foot. The Khumbu Icefall is a continually moving glacier with deep crevasses and massive overhanging ice as large as 10-story structures. It is regarded as one of the most challenging and perilous aspects of the ascent to the summit.
A section of the glacier ripped away from the mountain in 2014, triggering an avalanche of ice that killed 16 Sherpa guides who were carrying clients' equipment up the mountain. It was one of the deadliest tragedies in the history of Everest mountaineering.
During the main climbing season, which begins in March and ends in May, hundreds of international climbers and roughly the same number of Nepalese guides and assistants are anticipated to attempt to conquer the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak.
Climbers have begun to arrive at base camp to acclimate to the weather and altitude, while Sherpas build up ladders and ropes and transport supplies to the upper camps for their customers.
The Sherpas also built up tents for the international climbers, which were supplied with supplies and oxygen.
