Tragedy struck the slopes of Mount Everest this week as two climbers — one from India and another from the Philippines — lost their lives during separate expeditions, marking the first reported deaths of the current spring climbing season on the world’s highest peak.
According to officials from Nepal’s tourism department and expedition organizers, Subrata Ghosh, a 45-year-old Indian climber, died on Thursday while descending after successfully summiting the 8,849-metre (29,032 feet) mountain. He reportedly refused to proceed down from just below the Hillary Step, a dangerous and narrow passage near the summit located in Everest's infamous “death zone.”
“There was resistance to descend at that altitude, and he eventually passed away,” said Bodhraj Bhandari of Snowy Horizon Treks and Expedition, the company managing the climb. The cause of Ghosh’s death remains unknown, and efforts are underway to retrieve his body for further investigation and a post-mortem.
The Hillary Step, named after Sir Edmund Hillary, lies between the South Col and the summit, in an area above 8,000 metres where oxygen levels are critically low, making even basic movements physically exhausting and risky.
In a separate incident, Philipp II Santiago, also 45, from the Philippines, died late Wednesday at the South Col while making his ascent. “He had reached the fourth camp but was extremely fatigued. He died in his tent while resting,” confirmed Himal Gautam, an official from Nepal’s Department of Tourism.
Both climbers were part of an international expedition team led by Snowy Horizon Treks.
This spring, Nepal has issued 459 climbing permits for Everest, with hundreds of climbers and their Sherpa guides already reaching the summit since the season began in March. The climbing season typically concludes by the end of May, just before the monsoon sets in.
Mountaineering remains a crucial source of revenue and employment for Nepal. However, Everest expeditions continue to carry significant risks. Over the past century, more than 345 climbers have died on the mountain, according to data from the Himalayan Database.
Authorities have reminded climbers to be mindful of altitude-related health risks and to adhere strictly to safety protocols in the remaining weeks of the season.
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