KATHMANDU: A roaring wall of snow, and then everything is covered in white. Deadly silence, then screams. The terrifying moments after an avalanche struck a base camp at Mount Everest on Saturday have been caught on camera by German mountaineer Jost Kobusch.
After the snow came crashing down, the mountaineers were trying to gather their wits. "Stay together," they are heard screaming. "Come under my jacket," one person is heard telling his comrade, panting with fear and cold.
At least 19 people were killed and scores injured in that avalanche triggered by the massive earthquake that hit Nepal on Saturday. A part of the camp was buried and tents were blown away.
Survivors have described a cloud of rock and ice that smashed into their base camp.
Hundreds of mountaineers from across the world had gathered at Everest at the start of the annual climbing season.
Among those killed was Dan Fredinburg, a Google engineer based in California.
Many climbers were still on the mountain when aftershocks triggered a series of avalanches.
Official estimates suggest that at least 1,000 climbers, including about 400 foreigners, had been at base camp or on the ascent to the peak when the earthquake struck. April is one of the most popular times to scale the 8,850-metre peak before rain and clouds at the end of May.
Saturday's 7.9 magnitude quake was Nepal's worst in 81 years, and has killed over 3,200. It also shook India, China and Bangladesh.
Almost a year ago, an avalanche killed 16 Nepali guides in what had been the single deadliest day on the mountain.
