Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui, a 40-year-old Kenyan, tragically passed away while attempting to climb Mount Everest. The Department of Tourism confirmed his death, noting that Kirui was undertaking the climb without supplemental oxygen.
Kirui’s body was discovered near the summit at an altitude of 8,830 meters on Wednesday night. His ascent began on May 18, when Nepalese guide Nwang Sherpa from Solukhumbu set out from Everest Base Camp without oxygen. Sherpa reached the second camp on the same day, progressed to the third camp on May 20, and arrived at the fourth camp on May 21. On the morning of May 22, at 9 AM, the team set off towards the summit.
Although the climbers and their assistants got close to the summit, it remains unclear if they actually reached it. Concern arose when radio contact with the climbers had not been established by 9 PM on Wednesday. Consequently, Seven Summit mobilized four experienced mountain guides for a search and rescue mission at Camp 2. Tragically, they found Kirui’s body at 10:30 PM. The search for Sherpa continues, as his status remains unknown according to the department’s statement.
