SINGAPORE: A Singaporean climber went missing after climbing Mount Everest on Friday (May 19) morning, and his family has called for urgent attention to his situation.
Srinivas Sainis Dattatreya left Singapore for Nepal last month to climb the world’s highest peak, according to a petition on the website change.org.
Her cousin Divya Balasu wrote in her petition that Srinivas appeared to have suffered frostbite and altitude sickness during the descent.
As a result, he separated from the rest of the group and appeared to “fall at an altitude of around 8,000 meters, possibly on the Tibetan side of the mountain.”
She said a Sherpa team launched a search operation on Saturday morning.
Shrinivas was part of an expedition organized by Seven Summit Treks, a Nepalese company that offers guided climbs to Mount Everest and other mountains, according to news website BNN.
He reportedly had his last contact with base camp officials at around 8,500 meters above sea level.
BNN reported that Mr. Shrivinas “disappeared from sight” during the descent. His Sherpa guide managed to reach Camp IV, the last camp between Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse, at 8pm on Friday.
In his petition, Barras wrote that his family had contacted the relevant governments.
“This issue needs to be made known to them urgently. We need to be unhindered,” she said. she said.
She added that Shrivinas’ family was devastated but did not want to lose hope.
CNA has contacted the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information.
Two more climbers died on Everest on Friday, AFP news agency reported, bringing the death toll on the mountain to nine this season.
The latest fatalities have been confirmed to be Malaysian and Chinese climbers.
On average, about five climbers die on Everest each spring. But this year, just over halfway through the season, the number of casualties has nearly doubled.
The area above 8,000 meters is known as the ‘death zone’ and is known for its rugged terrain, with thin air and low oxygen levels increasing the risk of altitude sickness.
Nepal has issued 478 Everest summit permits to foreign climbers this season through early June.
Since most of them need a guide, more than 900 people will aim for the summit.
More than 400 climbers have already reached the summit since the route was set up on Saturday, according to the Nepal Tourism Board.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/singapore-climber-mount-everest-summit-missing-nepal-3502951 A Singaporean left a group and disappeared near the summit of Mount Everest.Family seeks urgent help