British woman and boyfriend caught in avalanche near Everest

A British woman and her partner have spoken of the moment a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the area where they were hiking near Mount Everest and triggered an avalanche which forced them to run for their lives.

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Holly Cowie, from London, and Axel Haudiquet, from France, were hiking near the village of Langtang in Nepal in 2015 when the avalanche hurtled towards them.

Speaking to the Smithsonian, Holly said: "There was a loud roaring.

"I looked back up the valley towards Langtang, the village itself, and could see a big cloud approaching.

"Amongst this, the roar of the wind. It then went dark."

The couple hid behind a tree for protection and were able to film the terrifying scene.

They clung to the branches of the tree as the avalanche hit, submerging them under dirt.

Axel said: "We were probably in the worst place you want to be for an earthquake because we were at the bottom of a steep valley."

Holly and Axel arrived in Nepal ten days before the devastating earthquake and avalanche killed 9,000 people on April 25th.