The 61-year-old German and the South Korean aged 44 died on the south face of the world‘s highest peak on Sunday, Ang Tshering Sherpa of the Kathmandu-based Asian Trekking adventure agency said. “The medical staff at the Himalayan Rescue Association believe the cause of death to be altitude sickness.” South Korean Song-Bin died at “The Balcony” an area near the peak. Sherpa told AFP.
Shriya Shah, a 33 year old Nepal-born Canadian also died on Sunday. “Climbers spend their energy on the ascent and they are exhausted and fatigued on the descent.”
The “Death Zone” in Everest is the region above 8,000 meters. It earned its name beacuase of the near impossible to survive conditions due to the lack of oxygen and biting temperatures.
Conditions have been particularly hazardous this year, said Nepalese government official Gyanendra Shrestha, with high winds
and heavy snowfall delaying the construction of makeshift bridges over precipices.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com