Kathmandu, May 20 – Indian mountaineer Rakesh Bishnoi from Rajasthan tragically lost his life on Monday after successfully summiting Mt Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest peak, according to a report by The Himalayan Times.
Bishnoi passed away near the Yellow Band, close to Camp IV, while descending from the summit. Nepalese climbing guides confirmed that he had changed his expedition plans at the last minute, opting to summit Mt Lhotse after calling off his Mt Everest climb on Sunday.
Efforts are currently underway to recover his body from the high-altitude location, where extreme conditions make rescue operations particularly challenging.
Mt Lhotse, towering at 8,516 metres above sea level, lies in the Himalayas on the Nepal-Tibet border. It ranks just behind Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga in height and is known for its treacherous terrain and demanding climbs.
In a separate incident, Romanian climber Zsolt Vago, a veteran videographer for Romanian national television, also died while attempting to climb Lhotse on Sunday.
These fatalities follow the deaths of two other climbers — one Indian and one Filipino — earlier this month during their ascent of Mt Everest, underscoring the perilous nature of high-altitude Himalayan expeditions.