Indian climber dies after scaling Mount Everest

An Indian man died after scaling Mount Everest, his expedition organiser said on Friday, becoming the second fatality of this year's climbing season on the world's highest mountain.

Subrata Ghosh, 45, reached the top of the 8,849-metre (29,000 feet) peak on Thursday but died about 50 metres below the summit while descending.

"It seems he was exhausted and was showing signs of altitude sickness. We are waiting for his guide to return for more details," said Bodha Raj Bhandari, of Snowy Horizon Treks and Expedition.

Ghosh was from West Bengal state, which adjoins Bangladesh.

Areas above 8,000 metres are known as the "death zone" because thin air and low oxygen levels heighten the risk of altitude sickness.

A Filipino climber of the same team died Wednesday on his way to the summit.

More than 50 climbers have reached the summit since the route opened last week, taking advantage of a brief spell of good weather.

Nepal is home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of climbers each spring, when temperatures are warmer and winds typically calmer.

Last year more than 800 climbers made it to the peak of Everest, including 74 from the northern Tibet side. Eight people died, including climbers from Nepal, Mongolia, Kenya, the UK and India.

Agence France-Presse