Mt Everest: Another body found by climbers

GlobalPost

Climbers have reported finding another body on Mount Everest, raising the death toll to four for one of the worst days ever on the world's highest mountain according to the Associated Press.

The BBC reported the body of Chinese climber Ha Wenyi, 55, was spotted close to where three others died last weekend.

Mountaineering Department official Gyanendra Shrestha told the Wall Street Journal that the climbers — German doctor Eberhard Schaaf, 61, Nepal-born Canadian Shriya Shah, and South Korean mountaineer Song Won-bin, 44 — died Saturday while descending from the 29,029-foot summit.

More from GlobalPost: 3 die on Everest, after summiting, 2 missing

Shrestha reported that the last missing member of the group, a Nepalese guide who was previously reported missing had reached the base camp.

Shrestha told the AP that an unusually high number of climbers may have attributed to the deaths. "There was a traffic jam on the mountain on Saturday. Climbers were still heading to the summit as late as 2:30 p.m. which is quite dangerous," Shrestha said. "With the traffic jam, climbers had a longer wait for their chance to go up the trail and spent too much time at higher altitude. Many of them are believed to be carrying limited amount of oxygen not anticipating the extra time spent."

Shrestha also told the AFP that climbing conditions have been particularly rough this season at Everest due to heavy snowfall and winds.

According to The Everest Base Camp Medical Clinic, a non-profit clinic that rescues climbers in duress, they have treated a record-breaking 250 patients within the first three weeks of the spring season.

More from GlobalPost: Nepal to remeasure Mount Everest to keep China happy

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