Two climbers, one from India and the other from the Philippines, have died while attempting to summit Mount Everest, marking the first fatalities of the current spring climbing season. Officials confirmed the deaths of Subrata Ghosh and Philipp II Santiago as efforts continue to manage hundreds of ascents during the March–May climbing window.
Indian Climber Dies Below Hillary Step
Subrata Ghosh, 45, from India, died on Thursday while descending from the summit of Mount Everest. According to Bodhraj Bhandari of Nepal’s Snowy Horizon Treks and Expedition, the company managing the international expedition, Ghosh had successfully reached the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) summit but encountered difficulties on his return.
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“He refused to descend from below the Hillary Step,” said Bhandari, referring to the near-vertical rock face that sits just below the summit. The Hillary Step is located within Everest’s infamous “death zone” — the area above 8,000 metres (26,250 feet) where oxygen levels are too low to sustain human life for extended periods.
Efforts are currently underway to retrieve Ghosh’s body from the high-altitude zone. The precise cause of his death remains unknown and will be determined following a post-mortem examination.
Filipino Climber Perishes at South Col
Philipp II Santiago, also 45, from the Philippines, died late on Wednesday at the South Col, the final high-altitude camp before Everest’s summit. He was attempting his ascent when he collapsed and died while resting in his tent.
“Santiago was tired when he reached the fourth high camp and died while resting,” confirmed Himal Gautam, an official from Nepal’s Department of Tourism. Both Ghosh and Santiago were members of the same international expedition organized by Bhandari’s company.
Risk and Resilience on the World’s Highest Peak
Their deaths are a somber reminder of the extreme risks associated with high-altitude climbing. The Hillary Step, once a technical climbing challenge made slightly easier by the 2015 earthquake that altered its structure, remains a psychological and physical barrier for climbers returning from the summit.
The “death zone” where both climbers lost their lives is notorious for its thin air and life-threatening conditions. Without supplemental oxygen, climbers suffer from hypoxia, which can lead to confusion, exhaustion, and fatal altitude-related illnesses.
Everest Season Continues Despite Tragedies
Despite the tragedies, the climbing season continues in full swing. Nepal has issued 459 climbing permits for Everest this season — a number that includes both foreign climbers and their Sherpa guides. So far, around 100 climbers have already reached the summit in the past week.
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Tourism, including mountaineering and trekking, remains a major source of income for Nepal, one of the world’s poorest countries. However, with every season, the mountain exacts a toll: over 345 climbers have died on Everest in more than a century of summiting attempts, according to the Himalayan Database and mountaineering officials.