Two climbers, a Dutch man and an Australian woman, died over the weekend, while 30 others suffered from frostbite or altitude sickness on the descent from the summit of Mount Everest, according to reports from the BBC. A third death, that of 25-year-old Phurba Sherpa, has also now been confirmed, according to CNN
These are the first deaths this year on Mount Everest. Two Indian climbers have also been reported missing in the “death zone” near the summit.
Maria Strydom, 34, was at the final camp before reaching the summit when she and her husband, Robert Gropel, began suffering from high-altitude sickness, which ultimately killed her. Her husband was transported to a hospital in Nepal. Strydom and her husband were experienced climbers.
