Long-line rescue of British mountaineer from Mt Amadablam. Photo: Capt Bibek Khadka

KATHMANDU: A Nepali Sherpa mountaineer was killed and a British mountaineer injured after an avalanche, triggered by an earthquake early on Monday morning, hit a group of mountaineers on Mt Amadablam in eastern Nepal.

Lakpa Thundu Sherpa, a permanent resident of Pangboche, Solukhumbu district, lost his life when the avalanche struck a 13-member team along with high-altitude workers this morning, according to Iswari Paudel, Managing Director at Himalayan Guides.

British national Ciaran Hill was injured in the incident, he added.

Mt Amadablam lies about 16 km south of Mt Everest.

A moderate earthquake of local magnitude 5.6 was reported in the border area of Ramechhap and Solukhumbu in eastern Nepal at around 5:20 am. It was listed as an aftershock of the Gorkha earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25, 2015.

The incident occurred when the expedition team left Camp II for Camp III in an attempt to reach the summit of the 6,812-metre mountain.

Sherpa breathed his last while being airlifted to Lukla from Camp III.

Other members of the team, led by Timothy Mosedale, were safe and the team has yet to decide whether to continue the climbing bid, according to Paudel.

A long-line rescue was conducted and injured British climber was airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment.

Sherpa's body has been sent to the Maharajganj-based Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for autopsy.