Bengal mountaineer conquers Mt Everest, dies while descending

An Indian mountaineer has died while descending Mount Everest, reportedly due to altitude sickness. He is the second person to die on the world’s highest peak during this year’s climbing season. According to reports, the climber had refused to descend and insisted on continuing the trek.

Subrata Ghosh, 45, reportedly collapsed near the Hillary Step — a perilous section just below the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) summit — after showing signs of severe altitude sickness. His expedition was organised by Snowy Horizon Treks and Expedition, whose representative, Bodhraj Bhandari, confirmed the incident.

The Hillary Step lies within Everest’s infamous “death zone,” where oxygen levels are critically low and climbers’ chances of survival without supplemental oxygen are minimal. Despite efforts by his Sherpa guide, Champal Tamang, to assist and encourage Ghosh to descend, the climber refused to continue, reported Hindustan Times.