Second Sherpa guide dies on Everest

A second Sherpa guide has died on Mount Everest in a week, an expedition organiser said Monday. The guide, whose name was not released, was descending from the summit of the world's highest peak on Sunday but died near the South Col, a point at 7,906 metres (25,938 feet).

"We are still getting details but we suspect complications from high altitude sickness. We will try to retrieve his body," Mingma Gelu Sherpa of Seven Summits Club told AFP.

Another guide, Pemba Tashi Sherpa, died last week after he plunged into a crevasse while descending from Camp 2 to Camp 1.  

Two weeks ago, expedition organisers said 40-year-old Swiss climber Abdul Waraich died near the summit after reaching the top and suffering exhaustion, while 55-year-old American Puwei Liu "suddenly passed away" after returning to Camp 4.

Nepal has issued a record 408 climbing permits this year after last year's season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The spring climbing season has coincided with a new wave of Covid-19 infections in the Himalayan nation of 28 million people.

In recent weeks, more than 30 climbers have been evacuated from base camp due to illness.

At least three have said publicly or told AFP that they have been infected with Covid-19. The total number of cases is not known.

Nepal officials have denied that there have been any virus cases on Everest.

Beijing cancelled expeditions from its side of Mount Everest over virus fears from Nepal, Chinese state media reported. 

More than 350 climbers and guides have already summited Everest this season, Nepal officials said.