Indian climber dies after Mount Everest attempt; was rescued from high-risk zone

A climber from India who was rescued from Mount Everest died in the hospital, the authorities in Nepal informed on Tuesday. The 46-year-old Banshi Lal was rescued last week while attempting to summit the highest peak in the world. He was admitted to a local hospital, but the doctors couldn't save him. "He died at the hospital yesterday," Rakesh Gurung of the tourism department told AFP.

This was the 8th recorded fatality this year; as the Everest mountaineering season nears its end, the figure is lower than the previous few years. Last year was the deadliest season for the mountaineers at the world's highest peak, and 18 fatalities were recorded in 2023. 

This year, the dead include a British climber and two Nepali guides, who are listed as missing after a bad fall. Their body is yet to be located, but the administration is presuming them dead. 

All the deaths on Mount Everest occurred above 8,000 meters, as the thin air and low oxygen levels heighten the risk of altitude sickness.

Not just Mount Everest but the other mountain peaks of Nepal witnessed fatalities as three more climbers died. A Romanian climber lost his life while summiting the peak of Lhotse, while a French and a Nepali climber died on Makalu, the world's fifth-highest mountain. The Himalayan country issued 900 mountain permits this year, including 419 for Mount Everest. 

Record-breaking year

This year, numerous records have been shattered, notably by Nepali climber Phunjo Lamam, who achieved the fastest female ascent of Mount Everest, reaching the summit in just 14 hours and 31 minutes. Typically, climbers spend several days ascending the 8,849-metre peak, pausing at various camps for rest and acclimatization. 

Moreover, 54-year-old Nepali climber Kami Rita Sherpa, dubbed "Everest Man," made his record-breaking 30th ascent of Everest three decades since his initial summit.

(With inputs from AFP)