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Kenyan mountaineer, Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui, died tragically near the summit of Mount Everest in his attempt to become the first African to scale the peak without supplemental oxygen. The 40-year-old climber and his Nepali guide, Nawang Sherpa, 44, vanished on Wednesday.
A search team deployed to locate the pair found Kirui’s body, but Nawang Sherpa remains missing, according to a local tourism official who spoke with AFP news agency.
Conquering Everest, the world’s highest mountain, is a notoriously perilous endeavor, even for seasoned climbers. Nepalese newspaper, the Himalayan Times, reported that Sherpa informed the base camp of Kirui exhibiting “abnormal behavior” and refusing to descend or use bottled oxygen. Shortly after this message, contact was lost with the pair.
A close friend of Kirui, Kipkemoi Limo, told the BBC that Kirui died from a fall. The family is now grappling with the decision of burying Kirui on Everest or repatriating his body to Kenya, a costly option at $190,000.
Just last week, Kirui expressed confidence in his ability to conquer Everest without supplemental oxygen. However, he did disclose to the BBC that he had emergency oxygen support from his guide and evacuation insurance in case of emergencies.
The banker, employed by one of Kenya’s largest lenders, was a cherished member of the Kenyan mountain climbing community. Fellow climber, James Muhia, who had been providing updates on Kirui’s progress, expressed his grief on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Our brother now rests on the mountain. It’s been a long night.”
Prior to the tragedy, Muhia had expressed confidence in Kirui’s success, highlighting his preparedness, physical capability, and resilience. He also revealed to the BBC that he had joined Kirui on his Manaslu summit last year.
Kirui’s death marks the fourth Everest-related fatality this week. The Himalayan Times reported the deaths of a Romanian climber and a British climber along with his Nepalese guide, all on Tuesday.
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