Fifteen high-altitude Sherpa guides including base camp cooks were killed in an avalanche on Friday morning, the deadliest single mountaineering accident ever on the world's highest peak.

12 bodies were recovered from the avalanche site yesterday and three bodies were left buried beneath the snow, according to Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa of the Himalayan Rescue Association. However, the Tourism Ministry has confirmed 12 deaths and four missing.

The identity of the body retrieved today has been confirmed as Dorjee Khatri of Taplejung. It has been learnt that the three missing bodies are still buried underneath the snow.

At least eight people were rescued yesterday, some of them with serious frost-bite injuries.

The avalanche had struck around 6:45am in an area known as the "popcorn field", just above the Everest base camp, at 5,800m. The group of Sherpa guides and base camp cooks had headed out from the base camp at 3:00am carrying food and ropes to Camps 1 and 2. The rescue officials reached the site 45 minutes later.

"As bad weather coupled with strong winds prevented rescue efforts, the remaining bodies will be retrieved on Saturday," said Lhakpa. One of the injured, 24-year-old Furi Sherpa, was brought to the Capital for treatment, while others are receiving care at a hospital in Lukla, the gateway to the Everest region. All the bodies were airlifted to Lukla on Friday noon.