2 Die On Everest As Climbing Season Commences

Two climbers died on Everest earlier this week, with the usual crowds and a COVID-19 outbreak in basecamp complicating this year's climbing season. | Wikimedia photo.

The Everest climbing season officially began earlier this month, and with the first teams summitting just a few days ago tragically came the first fatalities of the season. Two climbers (a Swiss-Pakistani and an American) were reported to have died on the upper mountain from altitude sickness on Wednesday. The guiding company responsible for their climb said both men were experienced mountaineers who died around 26,000 feet, near the “death zone” where lack of oxygen and unpredictable weather make for very dangerous climbing. The two deaths were unrelated. The American climber, 55-year-old Puwei Liu, died at camp on the South Col. The Swiss climber, 41-year-old Abdul Waraich died while descending from the summit after having completed his ascent of the seven summits (the highest points on each continent). The mountain is very busy with climbers this year, with over a hundred people already successfully summiting during a weather window earlier this week. Additionally, a COVID-19 outbreak has hit base camp on the Nepalese side of the mountain.