Two Everest climbers died high on the mountain during their summit bids yesterday. Over 50 other climbers summited successfully the same day.
Both climbers were being guided by Seven Summits Treks, whose cofounder Chhang Dawa Sherpa posted about the deaths on social media. Abdul Waraich, 40, of Switzerland, died near the 28,500-foot South Summit. “Mr. Abdul successfully reached the summit but began experiencing issues during his descent. We sent two additional Sherpas with oxygen and foods, unfortunately Sherpas couldn’t save him,” wrote Dawa Sherpa. Although Dawa Sherpa attributed the death to general exhaustion, the exact cause is unclear. However, altitude sickness is a common cause of death on the mountain. Waraich had previously climbed six of the Seven Summits, and the Everest climb marked his seventh. He worked as a consultant for Swisscom in Zurich.