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Race Against Time To Rescue Everest Climbers

Rescuers are battling to pluck the remaining climbers on Everest off the mountain before they run out of food and water.

Dozens are still thought to be trapped at Camp One or above after their route was blocked following the devastating 7.8-magnitude Nepali earthquake that killed at least 4,000.

Many managed to escape to Base Camp earlier in a five-hour window during which a helicopter took off two people at a time.

But deteriorating weather conditions have meant many were unable to be evacuated, leaving them to spend a third night on the world's highest peak.

Sam and Alex Chappette, who are stranded at Camp One at 6,050m and have been tweeting updates, said earlier: "There is a mass exodus from camps 1&2, never seen so many choppers #Everest2015 #Istherestillhope.

Later, they tweeted: "We are the last team on the hill now. Looks like its over.. Again. Trying to get a chopper via @thebmc.

The last tweet about their situation said: "Fog has crept up the valley. Pat and jim optimistically waiting by the pick up point. Still no news from @Thebmc so we wait."

Another British climber at the same camp Daniel Mazur tweeted: "Helicopters flew to #Everest C1 today, rescuing stranded climbers & Sherpas. @ 1:30pm, clouds & No more helis. Hope for tomorrow."

It comes after footage emerged of the moment that an avalanche hit Base Camp on Saturday .

At least 18 people were killed at the camp as the avalanche roared in, including Google executive Dan Fredinburg , documentary maker Tom Taplin and doctor Eve Girawong who was studying in the UK.

The deaths made it the mountain's deadliest disaster to date.

The tent village, in a valley below a series of peaks and ridges, is at the end of a popular three-week trekking route and is also the point of departure for those intending to climb higher.

Fourteen members of a British Army Gurkha regiment expedition and their sherpas were evacuated from Camp One earlier and flown to Base Camp where they are helping others.

Their commanding officer Brigadier Ian Rigden said: "The 14 x G200 Everest team members trapped at Camp 1 and their sherpas have been successfully helivaced to Base Camp. They are all in good spirits.

"Base Camp is unrecognisable and there is a considerable amount of work to do to secure it."

He said the plan was to stay for two days and then to walk to Kathmandu where they will aim to help with the relief operation.

"The team has had a significant ordeal at Camp 1," he said. "Surviving the follow-on after-shock earth tremors and numerous avalanches around their immediate area. Our team has been exemplary throughout and a great credit to the Brigade."

Another climber at Base Camp, South African Sean Wisedale, described the scene as some of the mountaineers arrived from camps above.

He wrote on his blog: "Noisy, powerful helicopters flying over my tent was what I woke up to this morning. I walked to the improvised helipad... Three frozen corpses bound in sleeping bags and tarps await an airlift."

TV presenter Amanda Holden described the anxiety felt by her family before her sister Debbie, who was on a trek to Everest Base Camp, got in touch to say she was safe.

She told Sky News: "I think potentially she may have saved her own life because she was suffering from acute altitude sickness and therefore did not move with the rest of the team and stayed there I think with a sherpa and three others."

All mountaineering on the Chinese side of Mount Everest has been cancelled with about 400 climbers from 20-plus countries reported safe after descending to lower elevations.