A team of high-altitude sherpa guides recovered the body of a Mongolian climber from Mt Everest after four days, the first casualty of this spring climbing season.

The search and rescue team found the body at the point of 8,600 metres, hooked in the fixed ropes of Everest, the expedition organiser said. Details of his death were unclear.

The two Mongolians—Tsedendamba Usukhjargal, 31, and Lkhagvajav Purevsuren, 53, have been reported missing since Monday.

“The rescue team spotted another body at 8,400 metres, a bit far from the fixed ropes,” said Pemba Sherpa of the 8K Expedition company that provided support services to the Mongolians up to their base camp.

“They [the rescue team] were not sure whether it was the body of another Mongolian. They have taken a photo and descended to the base camp to verify it,” he said. “It will be verified by Saturday.”

Pemba Sherpa, however, said that they have been discussing with the families whether to retrieve the body from the death zone, above 8,000 meters where oxygen is thin..

“It requires a huge amount of money—at least $70,000 to bring the bodies back.” “We have to mobilise at least 10 sherpas to bring the bodies from one of the dangerous points of the earth. From the lower reaches, the bodies should be airlifted by helicopter.”

According to the new rule of Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, in case of the death of a mountaineer, the guides, the trekking and travel agencies concerned shall be responsible for managing the body.

On April 4, the Mongolian National News Agency reported that Mongolian mountaineers D Otgonkhuu, TS Usukhjargal and L Purevsuren would depart on April 5, 2024, to climb Everest, the world’s highest peak.

“This time, it will be special as they will climb for the first time among the Mongolian mountaineers, not using any additional oxygen and without a guide. The three Mongolian mountaineers plan to conquer 8848.86 metres high Mount Everest by June 1, 2024,” according to the new agency report.

"They are the members of the Hunnu hiking club who decided to carry all the luggage themselves from the base camp and do the camping themselves.”

Of the three members, two set off last weekend from their final camp at 8,000 metres for the summit.

They were last spotted by another climbing group at Camp IV, the final camp, on May 13 at 8:45 am. Since then, they lost contact with the Everest base camp officials.

Bad weather and high winds hampered any search for the missing climbers in the death zone.

Everest is the world’s tallest summit at 8,848.86 metres, and according to the Department of Tourism, there have been more than 8,300 summit ascents from the Nepal side since the mountain was first scaled by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953.

World record holder Kami Rita Sherpa reached the top of Mt Everest for the 29th time on Sunday, breaking his own record for the most summits of the world’s highest mountain.