Two Indian mountaineers tragically lost their lives in Mount Everest’s treacherous “death zone” during a week of unprecedented traffic jams on the world’s highest peak, prompting legendary record-holder Kami Rita Sherpa to issue an urgent warning over Nepal’s failure to regulate climbing numbers. The deceased climbers, identified as Sandeep Are and Arun Kumar Tiwari, both successfully fulfilled their dreams of standing on the 8,849-metre summit before running into severe exhaustion during their descents. Expedition officials confirmed that Are succumbed to high-altitude sickness at Camp II, while Tiwari collapsed near the iconic Hillary Step. Despite exhaustive, overnight rescue attempts by their Sherpa guides to bring them down to safety, the severe lack of oxygen and profound physical fatigue at altitudes above 8,000 metres proved fatal.
The double tragedy unfolded directly alongside a staggering logistical bottleneck on the mountain’s southern route. A record-breaking 275 climbers choked the narrow, icy ridges in a single day, forcing mountaineers to wait in lengthy queues while exposed to extreme sub-zero conditions. Returning to Kathmandu on Friday after completing his own historic 32nd Everest ascent, Kami Rita Sherpa spoke out forcefully against the sheer volume of permits issued by Nepalese authorities. Warning that the mountain has become dangerously overcrowded with varying levels of climber proficiency, the veteran guide urged the government to strictly limit permit numbers and implement rigorous quality controls. With five confirmed fatalities already documented this season, the deaths of the two Indian climbers have renewed global scrutiny over commercial mountaineering practices, with experts cautioning that treating Everest as a high-traffic tourist destination significantly multiplies the margin for human error and unavoidable disaster.
