KATHMANDU, Nepal — A 20-year-old Nepali expedition worker has been found dead inside a tent at Manaslu Base Camp as Nepal’s autumn climbing season gets underway.
The deceased was identified as Tashi Sherpa, a resident of Makalu Rural Municipality-2 in the eastern Sankhuwasabha district. Some local reports spell his first name as “Tasi.”
Sherpa was working with expedition operator Pioneer Adventure, carrying supplies from Samagaun to the base camp and assisting with kitchen-related duties.
Worker found inside tent containing generator
Nivesh Karki, an executive at Pioneer Adventure, told the Everest Chronicle that Sherpa was discovered on Friday morning inside a tent where a generator had been placed.
Initial reports raised the possibility that he died from suffocation. However, authorities have not established an official cause of death, and a post-mortem examination is expected to provide further information.
Another Nepal-based publication, The Tourism Times, reported that investigators were also examining whether an open cooking-gas cylinder may have been involved. That possibility has not been confirmed.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajkumar Shrestha of the District Police Office in Gorkha said the worker died during the night. Poor weather initially prevented a helicopter from reaching the base camp, according to the report.
A subsequent account said Sherpa’s body was transported to Kathmandu and taken first to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. It was reportedly transferred to Patan Hospital because the teaching hospital did not have sufficient morgue capacity.
Manaslu climbing season underway
Mount Manaslu stands at 8,163 metres and is the eighth-highest mountain in the world. Its main commercial climbing season takes place during Nepal’s autumn months.
Nepal’s Department of Tourism has reportedly issued permits to 348 climbers across 29 expedition teams for the current Manaslu season. Base camps have been established, while a rope-fixing team has reached Camp I.
The incident follows another deadly season for the international mountaineering community. British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja and other climbers were killed in a recent avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak. Read Swikblog’s earlier coverage of the Broad Peak avalanche and recovery operation.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Sherpa’s death. Further details are expected after the post-mortem findings and an official statement from the authorities.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more verified information becomes available.
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