American climber dies on descent from summit of Mount Everest

KATHMANDU, Nepal - An American climber died on the descent from the summit of Mount Everest on Monday, a Nepalese official said, taking the number of dead or missing mountaineers on the world's highest mountain to 9 on the Nepali side during the current climbing season.

Christopher John Kulish, 61, scaled the 8,850 meter (29,035 feet) peak from the normal Southeast Ridge route in the morning but died suddenly at South Col after descending from the summit, Mira Acharya, a Nepal tourism department official said.

The authorities did not say where he was from in the United States. The cause of his death was unclear.

Most of the deaths on Everest this year have been attributed to exhaustion and tiredness, exacerbated because a crowded route to and from the summit has led to delays. The short climbing season ends this month.

The route, also called the South Col route, was pioneered by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

About 5,000 people have scaled the Everest summit so far and about 300 have died on its slopes.

Two climbers are also confirmed dead on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest this climbing season.

A record 381 climbers had been permitted to scale the summit from the Nepali side this season. About 130 others were tackling Everest from the mountain's northern side in Tibet.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Cyclone Fani fallout blows tents off Everest

High winds blamed on Cyclone Fani more than 900 kilometers away blew tents off the side of Mount Everest on Friday, officials said.

Fallout from the deadly storm, which hit India's Bay of Bengal coast on Friday, spread across South Asia — including the world's highest mountain.

The monster storm was not predicted to go near Nepal, but the country's Meteorological Forecasting Division predicted effect from Fani would cause snow, rain and strong winds in the country. 

About 20 tents at Everest's Camp 2, at 6,400 meters (21,000 feet), were affected.

"Very strong winds blew the tents off the mountain but no-one was hurt," Ishwori Poudel, general secretary of the Expedition Operators Association, told AFP. 

With the spring climbing season looming, several teams have postponed acclimatisation on Everest fearing the bad weather. 

"The effects of that storm mean we are likely to see significant snowfall and high winds on the mountain," expedition company Climbing the Seven Summits wrote on its blog. 

The company said its climbers would wait at base camp until the storm has passed. 

The Nepalese government has issued a warning to trekking and climbing companies to ensure the safety of tourists, and cautioned helicopters against flying.

The thousands of climbers who flock to Nepal each year to try eight of the world's 14 highest peaks provide a lucrative industry for the impoverished South Asian country.

Nepal has issued a record 377 permits to climb Everest this year.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Fil-Am doctors, nurses rush to help Nepal quake victims

CALIFORNIA - Two weeks after the devastating earthquake in Nepal which left more than 8,000, another quake has struck the country.

The 7.3 magnitude earthquake caused more buildings to crumble even as the country is still reeling from the massive devastation two weeks ago.

Video captured by the Canadian Red Cross shows rocks tumbling down a mountain north of Kathmandu.

As the latest quake compounds ongoing relief efforts in Nepal, Filipino-American doctors and medical workers have pitched in.

Top Fil-Am doctor in California Herminigildo Valle recalled the scene as the quake struck midday Tuesday.

"The whole building was shaking really hard and then there was this loud noise. When I go to the streets, I saw everybody, a lot of people running in all directions crying and yelling and people just lying on the ground," Dr. Valle said.

Officials say the epicenter was midway between Kathmandu and Mount Everest, close to the Chinese border.

Its tremors were powerful enough to be felt as far away as New Delhi, India, where several people also died.

As Dr. Valle visits the remote regions of Nepal to offer medical support, he said the devastation is simply staggering.

"I haven't seen this much death and destruction. You see people living in tarpaulin tents from 90 year olds to 3 year olds with cast on the leg. The worst thing is the smell. I could still smell the dead in the area.

Valle said he was supposed to go back to the devastated area of Sindhupalchowk, which is known for its treacherous terrain, but was lucky not to have made the trip when the latest quake struck.

"Maybe by the grace of God, we were supposed to go back there this morning. That terrain is like 10 times that of Kennon Road in Baguio with the road going the side of the mountain and with that kind of earthquake you never know what's gonna happen to the highway, the landslides and all. So today was my lucky day. Someone was watching over me," he said.

Rescue helicopters have been sent to remote areas.

Officials fear the death toll may rise even further with reports of people buried under the rubble near the Himalayas.

More Filipino-American nurses under the California Nurses Association will be deployed in the coming days to help in the medical efforts.

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