Four mountaineers were killed and 8 injured as a massive avalanche hit them on a mountain in Uttarakhand today.

Uttarakhand police chief Ashok Kumar said Indian Air Force helicopters are helping in the rescue effort. The injured are being flown to a nearby helipad at a height of 13,000 feet, from where they are being taken to Dehradun, the capital of the state.

The Nehru Mountaineering Institute in Uttarkashi where the mountaineers were enrolled for training has confirmed the four deaths, according to news agency ANI.

The avalanche struck the team at 9 am at an altitude of 16,000 feet.

“Rapid relief and rescue operations are being carried out by the district administration, NDRF, SDRF, Army and ITBP personnel along with the team of NIM to rescue the trainees trapped in the avalanche in Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak at the earliest,” the Chief Minister’s Office tweeted.

The Chief Minister has spoken to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and sought the army’s help. “The centre has assured every help,” the chief minister’s office said.