Indian, Filipino the first to die in 2025 Everest climbing season

KATHMANDU – An Indian climber and another from the Philippines became the first mountaineers to die on Mount Everest in the current March-May climbing season of the world’s highest peak, hiking officials said on May 16.

Mr Subrata Ghosh, 45, from India, died on May 15 below the Hillary Step while returning after reaching the 8,849m peak.

“He refused to descend from below the Hillary Step,” said Mr Bodhraj Bhandari, of Nepal’s Snowy Horizon Treks and Expedition organising company.

No other details were available.

The Hillary Step is located in the “death zone”, an area between the 8,000m high South Col and the summit, where the level of natural oxygen is inadequate for survival.

“Efforts are under way to bring his body down to the base camp. The cause of his death will be known only after post mortem,” Mr Bhandari said.

Mr Philipp Santiago II, 45, from the Philippines,

died late on May 14

at the South Col while he was on his way up, said Mr Himal Gautam, a tourism department official.

Mr Santiago was tired when he reached the fourth high camp and died while resting in his tent, Mr Gautam added. Mr Santiago and Mr Ghosh were both members of an international expedition organised by Mr Bhandari.

Nepal has issued 459 permits to climb Mount Everest during the current season that ends in May. Nearly 100 climbers and their guides have already reached the summit this week.

Mountain climbing, trekking and tourism is a source of income and employment for Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world.

At least 345 people have died on Everest in more than 100 years since summiting expeditions were known to have started, according to the Himalayan data base and hiking officials. REUTERS