Russian climber dies on Mt. Qomolangma: Nepalese authorities

A Russian climber died Saturday evening at Camp I on the world's highest Mt. Qomolangma during a regular acclimatization process, an official from Nepal's Department of Tourism said on Sunday.

"Pavel Kostrikin, 55, fell ill while he was trekking between Camp I and Camp II as part of the acclimatization to summit Mt. Qomolangma," Bhisma Raj Bhattarai, a section officer at the department, told Xinhua.

"He was brought to Camp 1 where he died," Bhattarai said, adding that altitude sickness is the reason behind the climber's death.

Camp I lies at an altitude of 6,065 meters above sea level.

According to the Tourism Department, Kostrikin is among a 14-member expedition team including 12 Russians, an American and an Israeli national. "The dead body is being airlifted to the capital Kathmandu," said Bhattarai.

It is the second death on the 8848.86-meter-high Mt. Qomolangma during the spring season. Last month, Nima Tenji Sherpa, a Nepali climbing guide, died while carrying loads through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall which lies just above the base camp of the peak.

In April, Greek climber Antonios Sykaris died on the world's seventh tallest Mt. Dhaulagiri (8,167m). On Thursday, Indian climber Narayanan Iyer died near the summit of Mt. Kanchenjunga (8,586m), the third highest in the world.