Spring expeditions claim 18 lives in Himalayas

ANKARA

Eighteen mountaineers have died during ongoing spring expeditions in the Himalayas, according to media reports.

Kathmandu-based daily The Himalayan Times reported that two more climbers died on Mount Everest and Mount Makalu on Friday, taking the toll to 18.

The season has witnessed eight deaths on Mount Everest, four on Mount Makalu, three on Mount Kanchenjunga and one each on Mount Lhotse, Mount Annapurna and Mount Cho Oyu to date, the report said.

The climbers died in areas above 8,000 meters.

The deceased include at least nine Indian climbers, the report added.

The spring season of expeditions starts on March 15 and ends by June 15.

Himalaya Vision Pvt Ltd -- an organizing group for climbers -- said Ing Landgraf (Ernst), 65, from Austria died earlier this week at the Second Step on Mount Everest while he was on his way back from the summit point of the world’s highest mountain.

Indian national Nihal Bagwan from Maharashtra died at Camp IV on Mount Everest on the Nepal side after he was rescued by a group of Sherpa climbers from the balcony area.

Bagwan was the leader of a two-member expedition.

The dead also included female climbers.

Kalpana Das, 49, a member of the ‘Three Women Expedition’, died Thursday near the balcony area while descending from the summit point on Mount Everest.

Other deceased from India include Anjali S Kulkarni, 54, from Mumbai; Ravi Thakar; Biplab Baidya, 48, and Kuntal Karar, 46, from West Bengal. Indian army team member Narayan Singh and Dipankar Ghos from Kolkata, India died while returning from the summit of Mount Makalu last week.

American Donald Lynn Cash from Utah died Wednesday a few meters below the balcony area while returning from the summit point on Mount Everest.

Academic Sean Lawless, 39, from the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, has been missing from the Everest death zone for over a week.