Two dead on Mount Everest in first fatal incident of climbing season
Two climbers have died on Mount Everest in the season’s first casualties on the world’s highest mountain, expedition organisers said on Thursday.
Abdul Waraich, 41, from Switzerland, reached the top of the 8,849mhigh (29,032ft) mountain before getting into difficulties on the way down, said Chhang Dawa of the expedition organiser, Seven Summit Treks in Nepal. “Abdul successfully reached the summit but began experiencing issues during his descent,” he said. “We sent two additional Sherpas with oxygen and food. Unfortunately, the Sherpas couldn’t save him.”
A US national, Puwei Liu, 55, also died on the mountain. He had reached the rock band known as the Hillary Step, located between South Col at 7,906m and the summit, but had to return because of snow blindness and exhaustion. He reached camp at the South Col with the help of support team members and additional oxygen, but died on Wednesday evening, the organisers said.
No other details were given on the dead climbers and when their bodies would be brought down. Bad weather conditions have forced climbers to descend to lower altitudes for now.
Carrying bodies down the icy and slippery slopes from the highest altitudes is a difficult task that takes time, requires several Sherpa workers and is generally very costly.
Nepal and China, which sit on either side of the mountain, both cancelled climbing seasons last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. China is allowing only Chinese climbers on the north side of the mountain this year.
Nepal allowed foreigners to return this year and the government issued permits to 408 climbers to attempt to scale the peak during the popular spring climbing season.
The month of May usually has the best weather for climbing Everest. Scores of people reached the summit this week and more are expected to make an attempt later this month once the weather improves.