Indian climber from Bengal among 2 dead on Mount Everest; hiking officials say he ‘refused to descend’

“He refused to descend from below the Hillary Step,” said Bodhraj Bhandari of Nepal’s Snowy Horizon Treks and Expedition which was the company organising the summit.

Efforts are currently underway to retrieve his body from the mountain. “The cause of his death will be known only after post mortem,” Bhandari added. No further details were immediately available.

The Hillary Step lies in the Everest’s notorious “death zone”, the area above 8,000 metres (26,250 feet) where oxygen levels are too low to support human life for extended periods.

Filipino climber dies while resting

Philipp II Santiago, also 45, from the Philippines, died late Wednesday at the South Col while ascending the summit. Santiago was tired when he reached the fourth high camp and died while resting in his tent, as per a tourism department official.

Both Ghosh and Santiago were part of an international expedition organised by Snowy Horizon Treks.

Nepal has issued 459 permits to climbers this season, which spans March to May. Nearly 100 climbers and their guides have already reached the summit this week.

What is Mount Everest season?

Since expeditions began over a century ago, at least 345 people have died on Everest, according to the Himalayan Database and local officials.

Only a few days each year offer the calm, clear, and relatively warm weather needed for climbers to survive at the Mount Everest. These brief periods—known as “weather windows”—typically fall in mid to late May, making it the prime time for summit attempts.

This narrow window defines the Everest climbing season, which runs from late April through May. May 23 is historically the most popular day to reach the top, reported Outside Magazine, with 1,712 climbers summiting on that date since 1950, according to the Himalayan Database. May 21 follows closely with 1,487 summits.

Climbers avoid Everest in summer due to heavy monsoon snowfall and strong winds starting in early June. Winter is even harsher, with extreme cold and wind. While a few have summited in the fall, the weather window is shorter and less predictable.

(With inputs from Reuters, PTI, Outside Magazine)

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