Mount Everest: Missing Indian climber's survival chances slim, says official

Hopes of finding an Indian climber, who went missing on Mount Everest, dimmed on Monday as the crucial 24-hour mark since his disappearance passed, a mountaineering official said. Ravi Kumar, 27, who belongs to Moradabad of Uttar Pradesh, lost contact with the Balcony area on Saturday – the final resting spot for climbers before they ascend the south summit of the mountain. Kumar successfully climbed the 8,848 metre high Mount Everest at 1:28 pm on Saturday. His climbing guide, Lakpa Wongya Sherpa, was found unconscious after suffering from frostbite at Camp IV. [caption id=“attachment_2792002” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Mount Everest. Getty Images[/caption] Kumar and the climbing guide got separated during their descent. “The chances of his survival are slim, as more than 24 hours have elapsed since he went missing in the extreme climate,” said Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association. At least five climbers have died on Everest during the current spring climbing season. An American and a Slovakian died near the summit of the world’s highest peak on Sunday. Nepal has cleared 371 mountaineers to climb Everest during the current season, ending this month. Nearly 300 people have died on Everest since the first ascent to the peak was made in 1953. It is estimated that more than 200 dead bodies are still lying on the mountain.