A devastating weekend on the world’s highest mountain.
Three climbers, from the USA, Slovakia and Australia respectively, died on the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, over the weekend, while another climber from India has been reported missing.
According to Associated Press, expedition organisers and tourism officials confirmed that the American and Slovak climbers, both aged 50, died near the summit of Mount Everest, while The Himalayan Times reported that a 54-year old Australian man died on the Chinese side of the mountain on Sunday.
An Indian climber, meanwhile, fell ill while on his way down from the summit on Saturday and did not make it to the nearest camp, located at South Col, at a height of approximately 8,000 metres.
A Nepalese Sherpa who was accompanying the climber did manage to drag himself to the camp at South Col, where he was receiving oxygen and being treated for frostbite.
It emerged over the weekend that the famous Hillary Step, a vertical rock face near the summit of Mount Everest named after Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man confirmed to have scaled the mountain, had collapsed, making conditions even more treacherous for climbers attempting to reach the summit.
As a result of the tragic events over the weekend, five climbers have now died on Mount Everest during spring climbing season, which began in March.
More climbers are expected to attempt to scale the mountain on Monday.
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