Key Points

In an interview with ANI, Riten Jangbu Sherpa (Tashi), who performed the rescue operation in coordination with other experts, confirmed that the guide had been rescued along with the body.

"We got the information that two people had gone missing on Mera Peak for two days. We recovered the dead body and rescued the guide, who was alive but pretty weak. There are a lot of people who were on their way to the peak who were informed about the weather condition, and they had stopped in Khare (on the way) following a warning about the snow condition; they stopped in Khare, the best point, the last point where the village is," the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations-certified mountain guide and rescuer told ANI.

The deceased has been identified as a 46-year-old South Korean national, while guide Temba Sherpa was found alive during a rescue mission coordinated by the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA).

The rescue was carried out on Monday by IFMGA-certified guides Riten Tashi Sherpa and Ashish Gurung, who were airlifted to the site from Kathmandu.

The climber's body and the Nepali guide were located at an altitude of around 5,800 metres. The deceased climber reportedly attempted to summit Mera Peak on the 4th and died of hypothermia after being trapped in a snowstorm while descending.

Mera Peak is renowned as a popular destination for climbing and trekking, offering spectacular views of high peaks such as Everest (8,848 metres), Lhotse (8,516 metres), Makalu (8,465 metres), and Cho Oyu (8,203 metres) from its summit.

With the change in weather, the storm developed rapidly and hit on Saturday. It affected large areas of Nepal, including Kathmandu, where all domestic flights were cancelled. At the same time, a fierce snowstorm with high winds struck the mountains, dumping huge amounts of snow in the Khumbu Valley and closing roads.

Forecasts alerted climbers on the 8,000-metre peaks in time, and they either retreated to base camp or further down the valley.

- ANI