LUCKNOW: The body of an Uttar Pradesh-based climber was spotted on Mount Everest on Monday, after he went missing two days ago while descending from the world’s highest peak.
The body of Ravi Kumar, 27, hailing from Moradabad district of UP, was spotted some 200 meters (650 feet) below the route in the balcony area of Mount Everest.
As per the sources, Nepal government confirmed about sighting of Ravi Kumar’s body to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu. The Indian embassy, in turn, wrote to Moradabd district administration informing it about the tragedy.
A pall of gloom descended at the residence of Kumar in civil lines, Bhola Singh Ki Milak locality of Moradabad as district magistrate RK Singh visited his family to inform them about Kumar’s his demise on Monday.
“My worst ever fears have come true. We talked to Ravi last on May 16. After that never heard from him," said shattered father Harkesh Kumar.
According to Thupten Sherpa, trekking manager of Arun Treks and Expedition, the Kathmandu-based trekking agency, Kumar had successfully climbed the 8,848 meters high Mount Everest at 1:28 PM on Saturday.
According to Nepalese authorities, contact with Ravi Kumar was lost around the balcony area of Mount Everest on May 20. Balcony is the final resting spot before climbers ascend the south summit of the mountain. The next morning, Ravi's guide Lakpay Wongya Sherpa was found in an unconscious state and Ravi went missing.
The guide was then brought to the base camp and a chopper was sent to trace the missing mountaineer. Sherpa rescuers spotted Ravi Kumar’s body, but it was impossible to retrieve it as it was lying in an unreachable terrain, said Thupten.
Thupten added that after unfurling tricolour on the summit, Ravi immediately started descending along with his Sherpa guide. While he fell while coming down, his guide somehow dragged himself and reached the camp-4 at South Col (8,000 metre).
With the dream to conquer world’s highest peak, Ravi had reached Kathmandu and started off for Mount Everest from base camp on May 16.
The office bearers of Arun Treks and Expeditions through which Ravi Kumar had gone climbing was in constant touch with his family after he went missing. The family back in Moradabad had also contacted Indian embassy in Nepal seeking its help in tracing the climber.
As per the family, Ravi Kumar is an avid climber and had unfurled tricolour on different peaks including Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Elbrus in Europe, Kosciuszko in Australia and many in India.