Nepal earthquake: Treacherous operation involving hundreds of rescuers to search for dozens of survivors on Mount Everest

At least 17 people have been confirmed dead after the avalanche swept through the base camp, where about 400 people were preparing to attempt the climb

Mount Everest base camp after the avalanche (AP) (AP)

A massive operation is under way to rescue dozens of survivors from Mount Everest after horrific tales came to light about the misery the earthquake-induced avalanche had inflicted on climbers attempting to scale the peak.

At least 17 people have now been confirmed dead after Saturday’s avalanche swept through the rocky base camp village of nylon tents, where about 400 people were preparing to attempt the climb.

The survivors of the mountain’s worst-ever disaster include a number of Britons, while Daniel Fredinburg, a senior American executive at the Google search engine, was among the dead. The affected Britons include Alex Schneider and Sam Chappattee, both 28, who were on their honeymoon, as well as Daniel Mazur, a climbing expedition leader from Bristol.

Aerial images posted on the Facebook account of the former Nepalese Prime Minister, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, show the scale of destruction in Gorkha, a district in west Nepal that has reportedly been hit particularly hard.

An aerial image shows the scale of destruction in Gorkha (Facebook)

The social media was awash with comments as many victims in the earthquake and associated avalanche updated friends and family on developments.

“A massive earthquake just hit Everest. Basecamp has been severely damaged. Our team is caught in camp 1. Please pray for everyone,” Mr Mazur tweeted.

“Aftershock at 1pm! Horrible here in camp one. Avalanches on three sides. Camp one a tiny island. We worry about icefall team below..Alive?” Mr Mazur added later.

Newlyweds Alex and Sam told of their experiences in their joint blog: “The ground started shaking violently…We staggered out to see an avalanche coming straight at us. A blast of wind knocked us down but were able to get up and run to shelter behind some tents and anchor ourselves with axes.”

Newlyweds Sam, left, and Alexandra, right, were caught up in the avalanche during their second attempt climbing Everest (Facebook)

Another Briton, 39-year old Nick Talbot, was attempting to be the first climber with cystic fibrosis to scale the mountain.

“This was like a tsunami. I saw this wall of snow and ice coming. I ran away. I thought, ‘There is no chance I can get away’. I just had my socks on. It knocked me into the rocks. I got up and it knocked me over again,” Mr Talbot told The New York Times.

Pemba Sherpa, a 43-year old Everest guide with the right side of his face bandaged, was surprised to have survived. One of the first group of survivors to be rescued, Mr Sherpa recalled how he was knocked unconscious by the avalanche.

“I heard a big noise and the next thing I know I was swept away by the snow. I must have been swept almost 200 metres…When I regained consciousness, I was in a tent surrounded by foreigners. I did not know what happened or where I was.”

People cremate the bodies of the victims of an earthquake in Bhaktapur, Nepal (AP)

Bhim Bahadur Khatri, 35, a cook for a climbing team said the quake hit when he was preparing a meal.

“I managed to dig out of what could easily have been my grave. I wriggled and used my hands as claws to dig as much as I could. I was suffocating. I could not breathe. I knew I had to survive,” he said.

When he finally dug his way out, part of the base camp had been destroyed.

“I looked around and saw the tents all torn and crushed. Many people were injured. I had lived but lost many of my friends,” Mr Khatri added.

A Nepalese resident naps by the roadside in the aftermath of the earthquake (AFP)

Twenty-two of the most seriously injured have been taken by helicopter in the village of Pheriche, the location of the nearest medical facility. But bad weather and communications were hampering more helicopter flights.

Tara Bradshaw, 24, from Brighton, 22-year old Sebastian Lovera from Tonbridge, Kent and Julia Carroll, also 22, were among the Briton’s who survived the avalanche. James Grieve, 52, from Kinross in Fife was also among the British survivors.