Kathmandu - A British climber died on Mount Everest on
Saturday, bringing the death toll this season on the world's highest
peak to 10, officials said.
Robin Haynes Fisher, 44, died early Saturday at 8 700 metres after
returning from the summit, said Murari Sharma of Everest Pariwar
Treks in Kathmandu.
"He had descended about 150 metres below the summit when he suddenly
collapsed. His Sherpa guide tried to rescue him, but he had already
died," said Sharma.
On Friday, 56-year-old Irishman Kevin Hynes died in his tent at 7,000
metres after turning back before reaching the summit, UK-based
climbing company 360 Expeditions said in a statement.
That same day, Nepalese guide Dhurba Bista, 33, died at the base camp
after being airlifted from a higher camp following illness, according
to his employer, Anil Bhattarai of Himalayan Ecstasy Treks.
Three Indians - two women and one man - died this week during their
descent after scaling the peak, as hundreds of climbers pushed for
the summit while taking advantage of this week's weather windows.
Earlier this month, a US climber and an Indian climber also died
during their descent from Everest. An Austrian climber died on the
Tibetan side of the 8848-metre peak.
Seamus Lawless, another Irish climber who went missing on May 16, is
presumed dead on the mountain.
Babu Sherpa, the managing director of Peak Promotion, said
overcrowding had congested the route from Camp IV to the top.
"There were only short weather windows and everyone was trying to
climb at once," he said.
Hundreds of climbers attempt to climb Mount Everest and other
Himalayan peaks during the spring climbing season.
Five climbers died on Everest last year.