17-05-2025
Indian climber dies after scaling Everest
This photograph taken on May 4, 2017, shows a general view of the Mount Everest range from Tengboche some 300 kms north-east of Kathmandu. PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP
KATHMANDU, Nepal — An Indian man died after scaling Mount Everest, his expedition organizer said Friday, becoming the second fatality of this year's climbing season on the world's highest mountain following the death of a Filipino climber.
Subrata Ghosh, 45, reached the top of the 8,849-metre (29,000 feet) peak Thursday but died about 50 meters below the summit while descending.
"It seems he was exhausted and was showing signs of altitude sickness. We are waiting for his guide to return for more details," said Bodha Raj Bhandari, of Snowy Horizon Treks and Expedition.
Ghosh was from West Bengal state, which adjoins Bangladesh.
Areas above 8,000 meters are known as the "death zone" because thin air and low oxygen levels heighten the risk of altitude sickness.
A Filipino climber of the same team, 45-year-old Philipp "PJ" Santiago II, died Wednesday on his way to the summit. As of Thursday, authorities had yet to announce the cause of his death.
His group was struck earlier by an avalanche, causing Santiago to suffer injuries to his cheek and briefly lose consciousness. After six days of rest, doctors cleared him to continue the summit push.
Santiago was looking to draw attention to the plight of children with cancer and raise awareness about clean water when he set out to climb Mt. Everest.
More than 50 climbers have reached the summit since the route opened last week, taking advantage of a brief spell of good weather.
Nepal is home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of climbers each spring, when temperatures are warmer and winds typically calmer.
Last year more than 800 climbers made it to the peak of Everest, including 74 from the northern Tibet side. Eight people died, including climbers from Nepal, Mongolia, Kenya, the UK and India. — with reports from GMA Integrated News/ Agence France Presse
