KATHMANDU, MAY 18
Two climbers vying to scale Mt Everest passed away this morning, taking the death toll in the world's highest peak this spring season to eight.
Chinese climber Xuebin Chen, 52, died while ascending the world's highest mountain this morning, sources at the base camp confirmed.
The climber was part of the Chinese expedition managed by 8K Expedition Pvt Ltd, sources shared. Initial reports suggested that the climber was trying to change his eyeglass and throw his supplementary oxygen before falling down.
Similarly, an Indian woman climber who fell ill at the Mt Everest base camp died in Lukla this morning.
Suzanne Leopoldina Jesus from Mumbai died while undergoing treatment at Lukla-based hospital at around 5:13am.
According to Da Dendi Sherpa, managing director of Glacier Himalaya Treks, Jesus breathed her last while undergoing treatment at Lukla-based hospital at around 5:13am. The 59-year-old climber from Mumbai, Maharashtra, had been ill for over six days while at the base camp and was airlifted to Lukla for treatment last evening.
"She was forcibly airlifted to Lukla from the base camp,"
Sherpa said, adding that Jesus had incessantly refused to leave the base camp without climbing Mt Everest.
It was decided to take her to Lukla for further treatmentfollowing a meeting with government liaison officers, police personnel and handling agency, Sherpa said. She was climbing with a pacemaker and was facing difficulty going above the base camp. She had complet-ed trekking to the Everest Base Camp in May 2022. She had aimed to be Asia's first person on an implanted pacemaker and the oldest Indian citizen to scale Everest.
Jesus was a teacher in a government primary school and was promoted as head of one of the largest schools at Silvassa.
Indian Embassy in Kathmandu as well the Department of Tourism have already been informed about the incident, Sherpa said, adding that efforts were under way to airlift her body to Kathmandu.
Earlier, Victor Brinza from Moldova died after he fell ill at South Col on May 17. Phurba Sherpa from Sankhuwasabha passed away near Yellow Band above Camp III on May 16, while American doctor Jonathan Sugarman, 69, died during his acclimatisation rotation at Camp II on May 1.
On April 12, Dawa Tseri Sherpa, Pemba Tenzing Sherpa, and Lakpa Rita Sherpa were buried in an avalanche that struck an icefall route above the base camp.
Meanwhile, a Chinese and another Mongolian climber are being rescued from the balcony area. A Sherpa rescue team from 8K Expedition is working hard to bring them down safely, sources added.
A total of 478 climbers from 65 different countries, including 376 males and 102 females, have taken permits from the Department of Tourism to scale Mt Everest this spring.
The DoT has collected over Rs 666 million from issuing permits just for the world's highest peak.
Meanwhile, as many as 1,176 climbers from 80 countries have taken permits to scale 28 various peaks across the country this spring climbing season.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 19, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
