Two climbers die in Nepal after expeditions to Ama Dablam mountain

Two mountaineers have died in Nepal after separate expeditions to the Ama Dablam mountain in the Himalayas, hiking officials said on Monday.

Hugo Lucio Colonia Lazaro, 65, from France, was hit on the head by a falling piece of ice and was evacuated to Kathmandu by helicopter last week, said Subash Shrestha of the Himalayan Vision Treks and Expedition company. Lazaro then died in hospital.

The second mountaineer, South Korean Hong Khy Park, 66, died on Sunday while climbing the mountain. He was climbing with five others when he collapsed, said Homnath Bhattarai of the J’Vill Nepal Treks company.

The 6,814 metre high Ama Dablam mountain in Solukhumbu area is a small but technically difficult peak to climb. Popular among hikers to Mount Everest Base Camp, it is also known as the “Matterhorn of the Himalayas” because of its soaring ridges and steep face.

Nepal issued 400 permits to climb Ama Dablam for the current autumn climbing season that ends next month.

Trekking and mountain climbing are a key source of employment and income for the impoverished country tucked between China and India.

A South Korean hiker died early this month after climbing a trekking peak in the same region.