An Indian and a Romanian climber died on Mount Lhotse in Nepal, one of the world’s highest mountains, taking the total number of fatalities during this year’s spring climbing season in the Himalayas to at least eight.
Rakesh Kumar, a 39-year-old climber from India, died on Sunday while descending from the summit of Lhotse, which stands at 8,516m (27,940ft), according to Makalu Adventure, the expedition organiser.
“He was coming down from the 8,000m (26,246ft) high fourth camp when he suddenly collapsed,” said Mohan Lamsal, the managing director of the Nepali company. “Efforts to revive him by his Sherpa guide failed.”
On the same day, Romanian climber Barna Zsolt Vago, aged 48, died while ascending the mountain, said Mr Rajan Bhattarai of Himalayan Guides, the agency that handled his expedition.
No additional information has been released about the circumstances of the deaths.
The Lhotse climb shares part of its route with Mount Everest and is one of the most technically challenging peaks in the world. The spring climbing season in Nepal – March to May – typically sees hundreds of climbers attempt to summit the country’s Himalayan giants, with fatalities not uncommon due to the extreme altitude, unpredictable weather, and physical exhaustion.
This year, fatalities have included at least two climbers on Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak.
Two mountaineers from India and the Philippines became the first to die on Mount Everest in the ongoing climbing season of the world's highest peak.
The Indian national was identified as Subrata Ghosh, 45, from West Bengal, who died last Thursday below the Hillary Step while returning after summiting the 8,849m peak.
“He refused to descend from below the Hillary Step,” Bodhraj Bhandari of Nepal's Snowy Horizon Treks and Expedition organising company said.
Ghosh reportedly became exhausted during his descent, showed signs of altitude sickness and then refused to continue.
The Filipino climber, Philipp II Santiago, 45, died on Wednesday at South Col while he was on his way up, Himal Gautam, a Nepali tourism department official, said.
Santiago was tired when he reached the fourth high camp and died resting in his tent. “We’re consulting to bring his body back to the base camp,” Mr Gautam said.
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