2 Indian climbers make it to Everest top, die while returning
The two Indian climbers died during the descent after successfully summiting Mount Everest, taking this season's death toll on the world's highest peak to five.
Two Indian mountaineers died while descending from Mount Everest after successfully reaching the summit, officials in Nepal said on Friday.
The two climbers were identified as Arun Kumar Tiwari and Sandeep Are. According to Rishi Bhandari, secretary general of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal, Are had summited the world's highest peak on Wednesday, while Tiwari reached the top on Thursday at around 5.30 pm.
Bhandari told news agency PTI that both climbers ran into severe exhaustion during the descent despite rescue efforts by Sherpa guides. He said the guides made extensive attempts to bring them down safely but could not save them.
Are died on Thursday after reportedly becoming extremely fatigued during the return journey. Bhandari said Sherpa guides rescued him from the Balcony area to the South Col overnight and continued efforts to save his life, but he could not survive.
Tiwari, who was descending with two experienced Sherpa guides after summiting Everest, also became exhausted near the Hillary Step. Despite repeated rescue attempts by the guides, he could not be brought back safely, Bhandari said.
Officials said it remains unclear exactly when Tiwari died during the descent.
With the latest deaths, the number of fatalities on Mount Everest this climbing season has risen to five. Three Nepali climbers had died earlier during the expedition period.
Three Indian climbers were part of a record-breaking group of 274 mountaineers who scaled Mount Everest from the Nepal side in a single day on Wednesday. All of them successfully reached the 8,848.86-metre summit, marking the highest number of ascents ever recorded in one day during an Everest climbing season.
Officials said the feat set a new spring season record. A total of 502 climbers have received permits to attempt the Everest summit during the spring 2026 expedition window.
The previous record was set in May 2019, when 223 climbers summited Everest from the Nepal side in one day.
Nepal, which hosts eight of the world's 14 tallest mountains, grants hundreds of mountaineering permits every year. Everest expeditions remain a major source of tourism revenue for the Himalayan nation.
Two Indian mountaineers died while descending from Mount Everest after successfully reaching the summit, officials in Nepal said on Friday.
The two climbers were identified as Arun Kumar Tiwari and Sandeep Are. According to Rishi Bhandari, secretary general of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal, Are had summited the world's highest peak on Wednesday, while Tiwari reached the top on Thursday at around 5.30 pm.
Bhandari told news agency PTI that both climbers ran into severe exhaustion during the descent despite rescue efforts by Sherpa guides. He said the guides made extensive attempts to bring them down safely but could not save them.
Are died on Thursday after reportedly becoming extremely fatigued during the return journey. Bhandari said Sherpa guides rescued him from the Balcony area to the South Col overnight and continued efforts to save his life, but he could not survive.
Tiwari, who was descending with two experienced Sherpa guides after summiting Everest, also became exhausted near the Hillary Step. Despite repeated rescue attempts by the guides, he could not be brought back safely, Bhandari said.
Officials said it remains unclear exactly when Tiwari died during the descent.
With the latest deaths, the number of fatalities on Mount Everest this climbing season has risen to five. Three Nepali climbers had died earlier during the expedition period.
Three Indian climbers were part of a record-breaking group of 274 mountaineers who scaled Mount Everest from the Nepal side in a single day on Wednesday. All of them successfully reached the 8,848.86-metre summit, marking the highest number of ascents ever recorded in one day during an Everest climbing season.
Officials said the feat set a new spring season record. A total of 502 climbers have received permits to attempt the Everest summit during the spring 2026 expedition window.
The previous record was set in May 2019, when 223 climbers summited Everest from the Nepal side in one day.
Nepal, which hosts eight of the world's 14 tallest mountains, grants hundreds of mountaineering permits every year. Everest expeditions remain a major source of tourism revenue for the Himalayan nation.
