Abdul Waraich and Puwei Liu Are First Climbers to Die on Mount Everest This Year

An American and a Swiss national have become the first to die on Mount Everest during this year’s climbing season. Puwei Liu, 55, had to abandon his attempt to reach the summit because of snow blindness and exhaustion, and died at the highest camp on the 29,032-foot mountain, the Associated Press reports. Abdul Waraich, 41, of Switzerland, reached the summit but fell ill on the way down, despite supplies of extra oxygen being sent up to him. Climbers or sherpas lose their lives on Everest every single year. This year, more than 400 people obtained permits to try to reach the top—with Bahrain’s Prince Mohammed bin Hamad being the first to lead a foreign team to the peak.

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