The body of a 27-year-old Indian climber, Ravi Kumar, who went missing since Saturday on Everest has been found after 36 hours of intense search.
According to Chowang Sherpa, managing director of Arun Treks and Expedition, the handling agency of Kumar’s expedition, a team of high-altitude guides spotted the body early in the morning-resting below 200-metre-deep crevasse of so called ‘balcony’ (8,400 metres), near the summit.
“But it not possible to retrieve the body immediately,” said Chowang.
Climbers from the US and Slovakia also died on the Nepali side of the mountain on Sunday.
According to Chowang, the Indian climber with his Sherpa guide reached the summit at 1:28pm on Saturday. He said the Indian climber had forced the guide to push for summit even though it was not the appropriate time for climbing.
Lack of oxygen coupled with extreme temperatures and weather later in the afternoon creates a greater risk of death on the mountain.
Chowang said that the Indian climber had collapsed at 8pm on Saturday due to low level of energy and oxygen when they were descending from the summit.
The Sherpa guide then left the Indian climber at the balcony with supplementary oxygen after he failed to walk.
The guide then descended to Camp IV to send a rescue team as he suffered multiple injuries due to frostbite and snow blindness. But when three high-altitude guides reached the place, they didn’t find the Indian there, said Chowang.
