(FOX NEWS)—Workers have collected more than 3 tons of trash from Mount Everest since mid-April—and plenty more still needs to be cleared, according to recent reports.
Four dead bodies have also been located during the campaign to clean the mountain, which began on April 14 out of Nepal, according to The Himalayan Times. Officials expect they will remove about 11 tons of garbage by the end of the 45-day campaign period, USA Today reported on Thursday.
"Our goal is to extract as much waste as possible from Everest so as to restore glory to the mountain. Everest is not just the crown of the world, but our pride," Dandu Raj Ghimire, Nepal's tourism director, said, according to The Hindu.
Nepal's tourism department, local government, and other mountaineering groups are working together for the campaign, which is the first of its kind, The Himalayan Times reported.