KATHMANDU, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A climber from the Philippines has died when attempting to summit the world's tallest Mount Qomolangma from the Nepali side, Nepal's Department of Tourism said on Thursday.
Philipp II Santiago, 45, passed away during a break at Camp 4 on Wednesday evening, becoming the first climber to die on the 8,848.86-meter-high peak during the spring climbing season which started in April and runs through May, said Himal Gautam, director at the department.
"His body is still at Camp 4 and attempts are being made to rescue it," the department said in a statement.
During the spring climbing season, 458 climbers from 57 countries and regions have been permitted to scale Mount Qomolangma which straddles Nepal and China.
A total of 56 climbers had reached the summit from the Nepali side by Wednesday morning, according to the department. ■
