(Image source from: Indiatoday.in)
Two climbers from India, who reached the summit of Mount Everest – the tallest mountain on the planet – tragically passed away during their descent, according to a report by PTI on Friday referencing a Nepali official. Rishi Bhandari, the Secretary General of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal, informed the PTI news agency that one of the climbers became severely fatigued while going down. "The Sherpa guides put in a tremendous effort to try and save his life and aid him from the Balcony to the South Col overnight, but despite their attempts, they could not save the climber," he remarked. He noted that simultaneously, another climber, Arun Tiwari, reached the Everest peak at roughly 5:30 pm that evening. "He was accompanied by two seasoned Sherpa climbing guides, and they attempted to descend together, but he grew fatigued at the Hillary Step, and our guides could not help him return," Bhandari added. Tiwari is said to have died close to the Hillary Step while being aided by four Sherpa guides during the descent. Sandeep Are passed away at Camp II after being evacuated by a group of Sherpa rescuers.
These fatalities occurred amidst the successful summit attempts of several Indian climbers, including 21-year-old Saanika Shah and the all-women mountaineering team from the Border Security Force (BSF). A record total of 274 climbers managed to reach the Everest summit from the Nepalese side (South Base Camp) in one day last Wednesday after a late commencement to the climbing season due to delays in the Khumbu Icefall, which caused strain on route opening and load-ferrying tasks. The essential process of fixing ropes, crucial for allowing access to the summit, was concluded on May 13, officially marking the start of this year's climbing season.
This year is anticipated to set records on Mount Everest, with Nepali authorities granting 493 permits for climbing the mountain. This represents the highest quantity of permits issued in a single year since Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary first successfully ascended the mountain in 1953.
