A group photo of Chinese Women's Mountaineering Team posted by Ma Liyamu on her wechat. [Photo from Ma Liyamu's wechat]

Qomolangma AVALANCHE

An Indian army mountaineering team has found 18 bodies on Mount Qomolangma, an army spokesman has said.

Gyanendra Shrestha of the country's tourism ministry told Reuters that the death toll could rise. He confirmed that the avalanche had buried part of the base camp and two tents had been filled with casualties.

Ministry officials estimated that at least 1,000 climbers, including about 400 foreigners, had been at base camp or on Qomolangma when the earthquake struck.

Three team members of Chinese Women's Mountaineering Team have been confirmed dead in Nepal earthquake. The victims include two Sherpa ethnic people. Ma had lost contact with her team.

All the members of the other two Chinese mountaineering teams are safe.

Leader of Chinese Women's Mountaineering Team, Ma Liyamu, who was reported to have lost contact, is now in touch. She was injured in the avalanche triggered by the earthquake.

Ma and her team have not yet come back to the base camp from Mount Qomolangma.

Romanian climber Alex Gavan tweeted that there had been a "huge avalanche" and "many, many" people were up on the mountain. "Running for life from my tent," Gavan said. "Qomolangma base camp huge earthquake then huge avalanche."

Another climber, Daniel Mazur, said the base camp had been severely damaged and his team were trapped.

"Please pray for everyone," he tweeted.