DHAKA: Tweelve Nepalese guides have been killed while nine more are missing over an early-morning avalanche on the slopes of Mount Everest on Friday 6:30am.

The Breaking News reports this at on Friday morning while there were nine deceased till the morning 8am according to The Huffington Post.

Nepal Tourism Ministry official Krishna Lamsal says the avalanche hit just below Mount Everest Camp 2 around 6:30 a.m. Friday.

He says six bodies have been recovered and rescuers are digging seven more out of the snow. Nine other Sherpa guides are still unaccounted for and believed to be buried in the snow.

All those killed and missing had gone early in the morning to the area to fix the ropes for climbers along the route to the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) summit.

Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association also says more than four or five climbers are believed to have been buried and more injured by the avalanche.

Hundreds of climbers, their guides and support guides have gathered at the base camp, gearing up for their final attempt to scale the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) peak early next month when weather condition gets favorable.

BDST: 1416 HRS, APR 18, 2014