Indian climber rescued from Mount Everest dies in Nepal
A 46-year-old Indian climber rescued from Mount Everest last week has died in a Kathmandu hospital, bringing the total number of fatalities this climbing season on the world’s highest mountain to eight, according to a Nepali tourism official.
The climber, named Banshi Lal, was flown from Everest last week and taken to a hospital in Nepal’s capital. “He died at the hospital yesterday,” Rakesh Gurung of the tourism department told AFP.
Among the eight fatalities this season are three individuals — a British climber and two Nepali guides — who are listed as missing but presumed dead.
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The latest death coincides with the end of the Everest mountaineering season, which has had a lower death toll than past years. Last year, 18 climbers died on the peak, making it the bloodiest season on record.
Three other climbers died while climbing other Nepali peaks: a Romanian attempting to summit Lhotse, Everest’s neighbor; a French climber; and a Nepali climber, all on Makalu, the world’s fifth-highest mountain.
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Nepal, home to eight of the world’s ten highest peaks, draws hundreds of explorers each spring as higher temperatures and calmer winds offer ideal climbing conditions.
All of this season’s deaths on Everest occurred above 8,000 meters (26,200 feet) in the “death zone,” where thin air and low oxygen levels greatly increase the danger of altitude sickness, according to AFP.
Numerous records broken this year
Despite the fatalities, several records were broken this year. Phunjo Lamam, a Nepali climber, set a new record for the fastest female ascent of Everest, reaching the summit in 14 hours and 31 minutes. Traditionally, climbers spend days ascending the 8,849-meter summit, acclimatizing at several camps along the way.
Additionally, 54-year-old Kami Rita Sherpa, called “Everest Man,” reached the summit for the record 30th time, three decades after his first ascent.
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This year, Nepal awarded over 900 climbing licenses, including 419 for Everest, earning more than $5 million in royalties. Since the rope-fixing crew was formed last month, almost 600 climbers and guides have summited Everest.
In a significant development, China reopened the Tibetan route to foreign climbers for the first time since closing it in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
