The Department of Foreign Affairs is providing assistance to the family of a man who died while hiking in Nepal.
The 64-year-old died of suspected altitude sickness while trekking at Gokyo Lakes in the Everest region, local police said.
The man, his niece and their guide were returning from the scenic region, which lies at an altitude of 4,700m to 5,000m, when he became sick on Sunday evening.
“He became unconscious as they were walking down. The guide then contacted us for help,” said Ranjit Lama of Himaland Adventure Treks, which had organised the expedition.
Local police official Khagendra Khadka said the trekker’s body was airlifted to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu for a post-mortem examination to confirm the cause of death.
“We suspect that altitude sickness probably caused his death,” Khadka told AFP.
Locals refer to the Gokyo region, dotted with turquoise lakes and stunning views of Mount Everest, as “Death Valley” since the relatively easy terrain prompts hikers to ascend too quickly, creating conditions ripe for altitude sickness as atmospheric pressure drops fast.
Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, was hit by tragedy in October when 43 hikers, guides and porters lost their lives in a massive snowstorm on the popular Annapurna circuit.
Hundreds of climbers also abandoned plans to ascend Mount Everest last April after an avalanche struck the world’s highest mountain, killing 16 Nepalese guides in the deadliest accident on the 8,848m peak.
