Tragedy on Mount Everest-HUGE Avalance
 

Up to Five of the 13 Sherpas Killed by Mount Everest Avalanche may have been Employed by the NBC and Discovery Channel Expedition Ahead of Network's Summit and Televised Live Jump

By Daily Mail UK,, 18 April 2014

Up to five of the guides who died after the early morning avalanche on Mount Everest are believed to be part of the team employed by NBC for an upcoming live jump special.


According to a list obtained by MailOnline that shows the names of the 16 local guides who were either killed or remain missing, two climbers were on the mountain as a part of an NBC Everest Expedition.
NBC is the parent company that owns the Discovery Channel, which is currently in preparations for a live jump that will be broadcast live to 224 countries in May.

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NBC crew: NBC has confirmed that their seven news staffers, including Jonathan Fierro (left) and Ed Wardle (right),
were at Base Camp and unharmed but they said they did not know the names of any of the sherpas


The wingsuit jumper at the heart of the special, Joby Ogwyn, has also previously worked with Adventurist Expeditions, an Everest climbing company that was cited on the list as having three dead sherpas on the mountain at the time of the fatal avalanche.
NBC and Discovery officials would not specifically state which sherpas they employed at Everest when MailOnline made repeated inquiries.
NBC News spokeswoman Amy Lynn said that the NBC News crews were safe but did not elaborate on any of the sherpas that they employed.
'NBC News Pea**** Productions' crews were on Mt. Everest preparing for Discovery's Everest Jump Live when the avalanche struck. We are grateful and relieved that the 7 NBC News staffers on site are all accounted for and unharmed,' she told MailOnline.

'Tragically, 13 Nepalese sherpas from a number of expedition companies who prepare the mountain each year for climbing season lost their lives, and the rescue mission continues. We are working closely with the team on the ground to assist however we can, and our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families.
'The future of the production will be assessed at the appropriate time.'

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Gathering information: Dawa Tashi Sherpa (pictured) is one of the guides who
was rescued but there were 13 who have now been confirmed dead and three remain missing


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Waiting to help: Staffers at Grandy Hospital in Katmandu were ready on the helipad Friday
but communication isn't clear between who hired which guide groups who were on the mountain in the avalanche


Discovery's executive vice president of communications did tell MailOnline exclusively that Ogwyn is there and helping with the recovery effort.

'The avalanche last night on Mt Everest is a terrible tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who are lost and with their families. The immediate priority for Joby and the team is to assist the search and rescue efforts in anyway possible,' Laurie Goldberg said.

Willie Geist from the Today Show was set to host the special.
Both climbers listed as being a part of the NBC expedition- Mingma Nuru Sherpa from the region of Namche and Derji Sherpa also from Namche were declared dead by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.

Three others, who worked for Adventurist Everest Expedition- Dorjee Khatri from Lelep, Then Dorjee Sherpa from Khumjung and Phur Temba Sherpa from Yaphu- were all killed in the avalanche.

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Busy season: Avalanches like the one that occurred Friday morning are common in the area but in addition to the 13 who died
this morning, it may cause further problems because this is the 'high season' in the area when many tours go through (pictured in May 2013)


The report comes after two of the surviving members of the NBC crew denied knowing any of the dead during a live interview on The Today Show this morning.

Savannah Guthrie interviewed Jonathan Fierro and Ed Wardle who were at Everest base camp at the time of the avalanche.

'No I couldn't tell you the name of any of the sherpas that were up there,' Mr Wardle said when asked if he knew any of the deceased.
'First thing this morning, just before 7:00, we heard an avalanche in the ice fall. It's a pretty regular occurrence- nobody was shocked by that but then radio reports started coming off the mountain that people were stuck in the avalanche. Everybody came out and started getting organized for the rescue.'