Mount Everest Tragedy: Indian Climbers Arun Kumar Tiwari and Sandeep Are Die Due to Exhaustion During Descent
Two Indian mountaineers, Arun Kumar Tiwari and Sandeep Are, died while descending Mount Everest after successfully reaching the summit, officials in Nepal said. Both climbers reportedly suffered severe exhaustion during the return journey despite rescue efforts by Sherpa guides. Their deaths have pushed this season’s Everest casualty count to five.
Two Indian mountaineers died while descending from Mount Everest after successfully reaching the summit, officials in Nepal said on Friday, May 22. The climbers, identified as Arun Kumar Tiwari and Sandeep Are, reportedly suffered severe exhaustion during their return from the world’s highest peak despite rescue attempts by Sherpa guides.
Rishi Bhandari, secretary general of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal, told news agency PTI that Are reached the summit on Wednesday, while Tiwari completed his ascent on Thursday. Both climbers later encountered difficulties during the descent. Kami Rita Sherpa Scales Mount Everest for Record-Breaking 32nd Time, Veteran Nepali Mountaineer Breaks His Own World Record.
2 Indian Mountaineers Die Descending Mount Everest After Reaching Summit
VIDEO | Nepal: Two Indian climbers die during descent after summiting Mount Everest.
Rishi Bhandari, secretary general of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal, says: "There was one Indian climber who summited Everest, and during the descent he became extremely tired.… pic.twitter.com/N9OSUPw7Bi
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 22, 2026
Climbers Succumbed During Return Journey
According to Bhandari, Sandeep Are became exhausted while returning from the summit and died on Thursday. He was reportedly rescued from the Balcony area and brought to the South Col overnight, but could not be saved. Tiwari, meanwhile, suffered fatigue near the Hillary Step during his descent after summiting Everest at around 5:30 pm on Thursday, May 21.
“There was one Indian climber who summited Everest, and during the descent he became extremely tired. The climbing Sherpa guides worked really hard to save his life and rescued him from the Balcony to South Col overnight. They continued trying to rescue him, but unfortunately, we were not able to save him…", Rishi Bhandari said. Mount Everest Climbers Halted at Base Camp Due to Massive Unstable Ice Block.
“At the same time yesterday evening, another climber, Arun Tiwari, summited Everest at around 5:30 pm. He had two experienced climbing Sherpa guides and they were trying to descend together, but he became exhausted and extremely tired at the Hillary Step, and unfortunately our guides were not able to bring him back", the official added.
Everest Death Toll Rises
The deaths of Tiwari and Are have raised the number of fatalities on Mount Everest this climbing season to five. Earlier, three Nepali climbers had also died during the expedition period. Mount Everest expeditions remain physically demanding, particularly during descent when climbers often face exhaustion, extreme weather conditions, and reduced oxygen levels.
On Wednesday, three Indians, including Sandeep Are, were among 274 climbers who successfully reached the 8,848.86-metre summit, setting a new record for the highest number of ascents recorded in a single day. The other Indian climbers in the group were Tulasi Reddi Palpunoori and Ajay Pal Singh Dhaliwal.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 22, 2026 03:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
