Avalanche hits climbers in Nepal, two dead, 13 missing

In this photo provided by Nepalese airline Simrik Air, an injured victim, center, of an avalanche is rescued at the base camp of Mount Manaslu in northern Nepal, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012. The avalanche swept away climbers on a Himalayan peak in Nepal on Sunday, leaving at least nine dead and six others missing, officials said. (AP Photo

An avalanche swept away climbers on the world's eighth highest mountain in northwestern Nepal on Sunday, killing at least two people while up to 13 were missing, police said.

Police inspector Basant Mishra said the bodies of a German climber and a Nepali guide were recovered from the snow on the 8,163-metre (26,781-foot) Mount Manaslu, about 100 km (60 miles) northwest of Kathmandu.

Helicopters were dispatched to the remote area to look for those missing after the early morning accident, Mishra said.

Details of the avalanche and the nationality of the missing climbers were not clear. But the online news service, eKantipur.com, said the 13 missing climbers were Germans

Hundreds of foreign climbers flock every year to Himalayan peaks in Nepal, which has eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest. September marks the beginning of the autumn climbing season which runs through November.

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