Hyderabad climber dies during Everest descent after reaching summit
HYDERABAD: Two Indian climbers, including a mountaineer from Hyderabad, died while descending from the summit of Mount Everest, according to Nepal expedition officials.
Sandeep Are, a climber from Hyderabad, died at Camp II after being brought down from higher camps by a team of Sherpa rescuers. Expedition officials said he became severely exhausted during the descent after successfully summiting the world’s highest peak.
Rishi Bhandari, secretary general of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal, said Sherpa guides made extensive efforts to rescue the climber.
“Shepa guides worked really hard to save his life and rescue him from the Balcony to the South Col overnight, but the climber could not be saved despite their efforts,” Bhandari said.
Another Indian climber, Arun Tiwari, died near the Hillary Step while descending after reaching the summit at around 17.30 local time. Officials said Tiwari was accompanied by two experienced Sherpa guides but became exhausted during the descent.
“Our guides were not able to bring him back,” Bhandari added.
Record Everest traffic this season
The deaths occurred during one of the busiest Everest climbing seasons in recent years. Nepal authorities reported that 274 climbers reached the summit from the Nepal side on a single day this week.
The climbing season began later than usual after delays in opening routes through the Khumbu Icefall. Rope-fixing operations were completed on May 13, officially opening the summit route.
Several Indians achieve successful summits
Despite the tragedy, several Indian climbers successfully scaled Everest this season. Among them were 21-year-old Saanika Shah and the Border Security Force (BSF) all-women mountaineering team.
Nepal has issued 493 climbing permits for Everest this year, the highest number ever granted for a single season. Authorities expect a record year for summit attempts on the mountain.
Mount Everest was first successfully climbed in 1953 by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary.
