Mountaineer conquers Everest, dies soon after

A 27-year-old mountaineer from Moradabad was killed hours after he conquered the world’s tallest peak – Mount Everest in Nepal on Saturday. According to local officials, Ravi Kumar, a resident of Milak village in Moradabad, died after he fell into a crevice while descending from the summit.

Ravi’s death was confirmed by the Moradabad district administration, which was intimated about it by the Indian High commission in Kathmandu. “Officials at Indian High Commission have confirmed Ravi’s death. We have informed his immediate family here (Moradabad) about it and assured them of every possible help,” said Rakesh Kumar Singh, district magistrate of Moradabad, on Tuesday.

Ravi’s father, Hari Krishna Kumar along with other family members left for Kathmandu on Tuesday. They sought possession of Ravi’s body, which is stuck on an inaccessible side of the mountain, some 1,000 meters below the 8,850-metre tall summit.

Meanwhile, the deceased’s family members held a protest a protest at the Collectorate and asked the administration to ensure recovery of the body. “The government must ask the Nepal government to return the body of our son, else we will refuse to accept that Ravi has died,” said kin, Pavan Kumar.

According to family members, Ravi reached the summit on Saturday afternoon at 1.28 pm and thereafter lost contact with the base camp. This was his fourth expedition on the world’s highest mountain.

He was also separated from his guide. Representatives of his tour company informed the family members about his achievement and that they had lost contact with him on Sunday.

Ravi reportedly fell from a section of the mountain during his descend after being separated from his guide. His guide was also rescued from a camp with serious frost-bite injuries.

The government must ask the Nepal government to return the body of our son, else we will refuse to accept that Ravi has died PAVAN KUMAR, kin