Kathmandu, Nepal:
A Nepalese guide died after climbing the world's fifth-highest mountain, officials in the Himalayan republic said Thursday, in the first fatality of the spring climbing season.
Lakpa Tenji Sherpa, 53, reached the summit of the 8,485-meter Mount Makalu on Monday while accompanying foreign climbers, but died during his descent.
“He was unwell and had to be helped by his team members,” Rakesh Gurung of Nepal's tourism department told AFP.
Expedition organizer Seven Summit Treks said it was waiting for more details.
Nepal has issued 59 permits to foreign climbers for Makalu and dozens have reached the summit after a rope repair team reached the summit last month.
Nepalese guides and porters are responsible for a large proportion of deaths in the Himalayas, underscoring the risk they take for the dreams of hundreds of paying climbers who aim to reach the top of the world's highest peaks.
Hundreds of climbers have flocked to Nepal – home to eight of the world's 14 highest peaks – preparing to summit in the spring climbing season, when temperatures are warm and winds are generally calm.
Nepal has issued more than 900 permits for its mountains this year, including 414 for Everest, earning more than $5 million in royalties.
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