Key Takeaways:
- Singaporean climber Lau Wee Seng (50) died near Camp II during acclimatisation; suspected heart attack
- Second death this autumn on Manaslu, after porter Tashi Sherpa was found dead at base camp
- Avalanche above Camp III disrupted rope-fixing work; all team members safe
- Additional Sherpa team mobilised with 1,300m rope to resume summit route opening before weather worsens
A Singaporean climber died on Mount Manaslu on Thursday as an avalanche disrupted rope-fixing work above Camp III, prompting the mobilisation of additional Sherpa support for the summit route.
Lau Wee Seng, 50, died at around 6,000 metres while descending from Camp II during an acclimatisation rotation, according to Pemba Sherpa, chairman of 8K Expeditions. Lau reportedly felt uncomfortable while descending and died while resting.
Other climbers, including a doctor from Asian Trekking, assisted him but could not save him. The initial assessment indicated that he may have suffered a heart attack, although the cause of death has not been officially established.
Lau's family has been informed, and a helicopter is being mobilised to bring his body to Kathmandu, Pemba said.
The death is the second reported on Manaslu this autumn. Earlier, Tashi Sherpa, a 20-year-old local porter from Makalu Rural Municipality-2 in Sankhuwasabha, was found dead inside a tent at the mountain's base camp. Sherpa reportedly went to sleep inside a tent where a generator had been placed without informing others. Police had earlier informed that the investigation into the circumstances.
Meanwhile, at least four additional Sherpa climbers left Manaslu Base Camp for Camp III on Wednesday evening to support the Expedition Operators Association Nepal's rope-fixing team and accelerate the opening of the summit route.
Lakpa Sherpa, managing director and expedition leader of 8K Expeditions, said three Sherpa climbers from his company and one from 14 Peaks Expedition would join the rope-fixing team.
He said an avalanche had struck the mountain slope above Camp III on Wednesday morning, affecting the route-opening work. The avalanche occurred shortly after the rope-fixing team returned to Camp III, but all team members were safe, he said.
The additional team was mobilised with 1,300 metres of rope and necessary equipment. The joint team plans to resume rope fixing as early as Thursday, or the following day, depending on conditions.
The rope-fixing team deployed by the Expedition Operators Association Nepal (EOAN) had already opened and secured the route up to Camp III on September 10. It is now preparing to extend the route towards Camp IV and the summit.
Expedition operators are seeking to complete the work before weather conditions become unfavourable, with forecasts indicating a possible deterioration after September 25. If the summit route is fixed within a day or two, 466 foreign climbers and more than 500 Nepali guides are expected to attempt the summit within a week.
The Department of Tourism has issued 466 Manaslu climbing permits, including 342 for male climbers and 124 for female climbers. The department has collected US$1,434,193 in royalties from autumn climbing permits.
The autumn expeditions have been conducting acclimatisation rotations while transporting essential equipment to higher camps. More than 200 climbers and support staff had reached the base-camp area through Samagaun by September 4.