Indian Climber Dies After Rescue on Mount Everest, Marking Eighth Fatality This Season

A climber from India, Banshi Lal, who was rescued from Mount Everest, has died in the hospital, Nepalese authorities reported on Tuesday. The 46-year-old was rescued last week while attempting to summit the world’s highest peak and was admitted to a local hospital, but doctors were unable to save him. “He died at the hospital yesterday,” confirmed Rakesh Gurung of the tourism department to AFP.

This marks the eighth fatality on Everest this year. As the mountaineering season draws to a close, the death toll is lower than in recent years. Last year was particularly deadly, with 18 fatalities recorded on Everest in 2023.

This year’s fatalities include a British climber and two Nepali guides, who are listed as missing and presumed dead following a severe fall. Their bodies have yet to be located.

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

The fatalities have not been confined to Everest. Other peaks in Nepal have also witnessed deaths. A Romanian climber perished while summiting Lhotse, and a French and a Nepali climber died on Makalu, the world’s fifth-highest mountain. This year, Nepal issued 900 mountain permits, including 419 for Everest.

Record-breaking achievements have also been noted this season. Nepali climber Phunjo Lama set a new record for the fastest female ascent of Mount Everest, reaching the summit in just 14 hours and 31 minutes. Typically, climbers take several days to reach the 8,849-meter peak, stopping at various camps for rest and acclimatization.

Additionally, 54-year-old Nepali climber Kami Rita Sherpa, known as “Everest Man,” achieved his 30th ascent of Everest, a record-breaking feat three decades after his first summit.