the wrong time, we have tragic accidents. >> reporter: the sherpas were carrying equipment and clearing a path for foreign climbers when the avalanche of ice swept down on them. >> there's a huge amount of guilt here among the western climbers that these sherpas were carrying equipment for us and preparing the route for us. >> reporter: at a holy site in kathmandu, the families of the dead are mourning. this girl's father is among them. she says the accident has caused her family immense sorrow. back at everest base camp, buddhist flags are still flying. the sherpas put them up two days before this accident. they were supposed to bless their journey. many of those sad pictures that you see there were filmed by an nbc news crew that happened at the at mt. everest filming a documentary for the discovery channel. thankfully, all nbc news employees are safe and well but we know their thoughts are with the sherpas who have been