German mountaineer Luis Stitzinger has been found dead on the Kanchenjunga mountain, the third highest in the world, the organizers of his expedition announced on Wednesday, a few days after he disappeared while descending from the summit.
A search team made up of five Nepalese guides found the body of Luis Stitzinger on Tuesday just below the summit of Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), at about 8,400 meters, Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks told AFP.
"They are bringing his body down," Mingma Sherpa said.
The 54-year-old had reached the summit of the Himalayan mountain on May 25 without supplemental oxygen and then contact with him was lost, according to Seven Summit Treks.
Search operations had been hampered by weather conditions. An experienced mountaineer and guide, Mr. Stitzinger had already reached several peaks over 8,000 meters.
Nepal is home to eight of the ten highest peaks in the world, including Everest, and welcomes hundreds of climbers each spring, when temperatures are warmer and winds generally lower.
Nepalese authorities have issued more than a thousand permits to climb these mountains this season, including 44 for Kanchenjunga.
In Everest, the world's tallest mountain, 12 people have died this year and five more are missing, putting 2023 on track to become a record year for fatalities.
Last month, mountaineer Noel Hanna, 56, from Northern Ireland, died on Annapurna, the tenth highest mountain in the world.
05/31/2023 07:54:22 - Kathmandu (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
