BREAKING NEWS The details within this Newsflash represent our best understanding of the situation on Manaslu at this time. We will post a more detailed account once the full story is known. -Online Editor Keese Lane
September 23, 2012, 5:00 p.m. - According to Montagna.tv, at least thirteen climbers have been killed and three are missing after an avalanche on Manaslu, the world's eighth-tallest mountain. The avalanche struck around 5:00 a.m. and hit both Camp 3 (6800 meters) and Camp 2 (6300 meters). Glen Plake and Greg Hill are among the survivors.
Both Plake and Hill were on Manaslu for separate ski expeditions. Hill was camped at Camp 2 and Plake at Camp 3.
"A huge avalanche swept through camp 3 at 4:45 a.m. on Manaslu, catching lots of people in their sleeping bags, many dead, and injured," Hill wrote on his Facebook page."Luckily our team is fine, and helped with the rescue, Glen Plake is also fine but my heart goes out to all the others...."
According to reports on EpicTV.com, Plake's two teammates, Greg Costa, with whom he was sharing a tent, and Remy Lecluse, are missing."I was swept 300 meters over a serac down the mountain," Plake told Epic TV,"I came to a stop still in my sleeping bag, still inside the tent, still with my headlamp on... It was a massive serac fall, probably 600 to 700 meters across. It's a war zone up here." Plake, reportedly, performed beacon searches immediately after the avalanche but was unable to locate any other signals. All of the climbers at Camp 3 are believed to have been wearing broadcasting avalanche beacons.
Two hundred and thirty one climbers and guides were on Manaslu, reports NPR, from Italian, French and German expeditions. According to NPR, the search continued throughout the day Sunday, but the air search was terminated due to deteriorating weather.
Additional details are currently vague, but we'll share more information as it becomes available. Our thoughts are with the families of those missing or deceased in the avalanche.