KATHMANDU: A Sherpa climber died while attempting to climb the world’s highest mountain from the North Col, according to expedition organiser.

Mingma Gelu Sherpa, Managing Director at Seven Summit Adventure, today confirmed that Pasang Norbu Sherpa (41) from Khari Khola of Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality in Solukhumbu district died at the high camp while heading for the final summit push on Mt Everest from Tibet side on May 18.

“Sherpa, a climbing guide for 7 Summits Club Expedition, died from stroke,” he said while returning to Rasuwa from Tibet this afternoon.

According to sources, climbers from different expedition discovered his body at a cross-like feature at 8,550 m as his fellow climbers were ahead en route to the summit. “We tried shouting and shaking him but he was already dead. Other climbers following us down from our extended team also saw him and tried to rouse him,” a climber, who witnessed the scene, told THT.

According to Sherpa, at least 72 climbers including mountain guides from 7 Summits Club Expedition led by Russian climber Alex Abramov scaled Mt Everest from north side this season.

Earlier, IFMGA guide Damai Sarki Sherpa of Kharikhola village in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-1, of Solukhumbu district, had died after falling into crevasse on Mt Everest from Nepal side last night.

With this, the death toll on the world’s highest mountain has reached six this season.

According to the base camp officials, Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki died while descending from Camp III to Camp II yesterday. Gjeorgi Petkov from Macedonia died above Camp III due to cardiac arrest on May 20 while Russian climber Rustem Amirov died of altitude sickness at Camp II while attempting to climb Mt Lhotse on May 17. A mountain guide Lama Babu Sherpa, who went missing near Camp IV since May 14, was also presumed dead.