Foreigners return to Everest on Nepali side

2021-05-11 14:40:23 GMT2021-05-11 22:40:23(Beijing Time) Sina English

Reuters

Mount Everest, the world highest peak, and other peaks of the Himalayan range are seen through an aircraft window during a mountain flight from Kathmandu, Nepal. 

Foreigners climbed Mount Everest for the first time since Nepal’s government reopened the mountain after it was shut last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, despite recent coronavirus cases at its base camp.

Thirty-eight climbers including 10 Bahrainis and two Britons climbed the world’s highest mountain yesterday, according to hiking companies.

It comes after some climbers were evacuated from the Everest base camp in April after they fell sick with COVID-19 symptoms as Nepal battles a devastating second wave of coronavirus infections.

“Twelve foreign climbers scaled Sagarmatha today,” Tourism Department official Mira Acharya said, referring to the Nepali name of the peak, which is also known as Qomolangma.

Nepal closed its southern side of the mountain in March 2020 due to the pandemic, but reopened for this year’s climbing season starting in April, issuing a record of 408 permits granting access to the 8,848.86-meter peak.

Mingma Sherpa at the Seven Summit Treks company said Bahraini prince Mohamed Hamad Mohamed al-Khalifa was among the climbers yesterday.

Nepal is fighting a recent surge in infections and has reported a total 403,794 coronavirus cases and 3,859 deaths.

“The COVID-19 virus appears to be spreading quickly throughout EBC (Everest base camp) and the Khumbu, with frequent evacuations to Kathmandu, where individuals are testing positive for the virus,” American climbing blogger Alan Arnette wrote in a post last month.

Nepal says it has not been notified of the outbreak at the base camp.

(Agencies)

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