KATHMANDU, Nepal — Two Indian climbers have gone missing on Mount Everest, an expedition organizer said Sunday, one day after two deaths from apparent altitude sickness were reported, underscoring the risks on the world’s highest mountain.
Paresh Nath and Goutam Ghosh have been missing since Saturday, said Wangchu Sherpa of the Trekking Camp Nepal agency in Kathmandu. They were last seen near the Everest summit.
Two of their companions who fell sick were being helped down the mountain, Sherpa said. About 30 climbers have developed frostbite or become sick near the summit in recent days.
Most of the sick climbers suffered frostbite while attempting to reach the summit or on their descent, Mountaineering Department official Gyanendra Shrestha said. Favorable weather has allowed nearly 400 climbers to reach the summit from Nepal since May 11, but the altitude, weather and harsh terrain can cause problems at any time.
The two climbers who died were on the same expedition team. It was undecided when and if their bodies will be brought down from the high altitude, and it will depend on the team and family members, Pasang Phurba of the Seven Summits agency said. Carrying bodies down Everest takes at least eight Sherpa guides, since the bodies become frozen and heavier than normal.
