A Malaysian climber nearly escaped death after a Nepali sherpa guide carried&nbsp;him down from Mount Everest's peak in a "very rare" high-altitude rescue, according to a government official who spoke to Reuters.

Gelje Sherpa, 30, was guiding a Chinese client to the summit of Everest on May 18 when he noticed a Malaysian climber clinging to a rope and shivering from extreme cold in the "death zone" where temperatures can plummet&nbsp;to minus 30 degree&nbsp;Celsius (86F) or even lower.&nbsp;

Gelje hauled the climber 600 metres (1,900 feet) down from the Balcony area to the South Col, for over six hours, where Nima Tahi Sherpa, another guide, joined the rescue operation.

Video courtesy: Reuters

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This Nepali sherpa guide rescued a Malaysian climber from a part of Mount Everest called the ‘death zone' by carrying him down the hill on his back <a href="https://t.co/CLsYEDLw5W">https://t.co/CLsYEDLw5W</a> <a href="https://t.co/kjdxyj2IzS">pic.twitter.com/kjdxyj2IzS</a>
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“We wrapped the climber in a sleeping mat, dragged him on the snow or carried him in turns on our backs to camp III,” Gelje told Reuters.&nbsp;

They were then lifted with the help of a helicopter&nbsp;from the 7,162-metre (23,500 feet) high Camp III down to base camp.

“It is almost impossible to rescue climbers at that altitude,” Department of Tourism official Bigyan Koirala told Reuters.

“It is a very rare operation,” he added.&nbsp;

Gelje said he requested&nbsp;his Chinese client to give up his summit attempt and walk down&nbsp;the mountain, saying it was crucial&nbsp;for him to rescue the climber.

“Saving one life is more important than praying at the monastery,” said Gelje.&nbsp;

Tashi Lakhpa Sherpa of the Seven Summit Treks company, which helped&nbsp;the Malaysian climber logistically&nbsp;refused&nbsp;o name him, citing privacy concerns.&nbsp;The climber was put on a flight to Malaysia last week.

Nepal issued a record 478 permits for Everest during this year’s March to May climbing season.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-shelves-plan-to-relocate-everest-base-camp-even-as-threats-rise-due-to-climate-change-597834">Nepal shelves plan to relocate Everest base camp even as threats rise due to climate change</a>

<h2>Why are so many people dying on the Everest? Is climate change the reason?</h2>

As per experts, this is one of the deadliest years on record on Mount Everest, with variable weather caused by climate change blamed for&nbsp;the deaths of up to 17 people.

A total of 12 people have now been confirmed dead during Everest expeditions this season and another five are missing, according to the Himalayan Database, which keeps track of mountain fatalities.

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Nepal marks 70th International Everest Day 2023

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“Altogether this year we lost 17 people on the mountain this season.&nbsp;The main cause is the change in the weather. This season the weather conditions were not favourable, it was very variable. Climate change is having a big impact in the mountains,”&nbsp;Yuba Raj Khatiwada, the director of Nepal’s tourism department told the Guardian.&nbsp;

This makes 2023 one of the worst years on Everest, only surpassed by the events of 2014 when 17 died, most of them local sherpas killed in an avalanche. Every year, between five and ten people die on Everest, although there has been an&nbsp;increase recently.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A Malaysian climber nearly escaped death after a Nepali sherpa guide carried him down from Mount Everest's peak in a "very rare" high-altitude rescue, according to a government official who spoke to Reuters.

A Malaysian climber nearly escaped death after a Nepali sherpa guide carried him down from Mount Everest's peak in a "very rare" high-altitude rescue, according to a government official who spoke to Reuters. Gelje Sherpa, 30, was guiding a Chinese client to the summit of Everest on May 18 when he noticed a Malaysian climber clinging to a rope and shivering from extreme cold in the "death zone" where temperatures can plummet to minus 30 degree Celsius (86F) or even lower. Gelje hauled the climber 600 metres (1,900 feet) down from the Balcony area to the South Col, for over six hours, where Nima Tahi Sherpa, another guide, joined the rescue operation. Video courtesy: Reuters This Nepali sherpa guide rescued a Malaysian climber from a part of Mount Everest called the ‘death zone' by carrying him down the hill on his back https://t.co/CLsYEDLw5W pic.twitter.com/kjdxyj2IzS — Reuters (@Reuters) June 1, 2023 × “We wrapped the climber in a sleeping mat, dragged him on the snow or carried him in turns on our backs to camp III,” Gelje told Reuters. They were then lifted with the help of a helicopter from the 7,162-metre (23,500 feet) high Camp III down to base camp. “It is almost impossible to rescue climbers at that altitude,” Department of Tourism official Bigyan Koirala told Reuters. “It is a very rare operation,” he added. Gelje said he requested his Chinese client to give up his summit attempt and walk down the mountain, saying it was crucial for him to rescue the climber. “Saving one life is more important than praying at the monastery,” said Gelje. Tashi Lakhpa Sherpa of the Seven Summit Treks company, which helped the Malaysian climber logistically refused o name him, citing privacy concerns. The climber was put on a flight to Malaysia last week. Nepal issued a record 478 permits for Everest during this year’s March to May climbing season. ALSO READ | Nepal shelves plan to relocate Everest base camp even as threats rise due to climate change Why are so many people dying on the Everest? Is climate change the reason? As per experts, this is one of the deadliest years on record on Mount Everest, with variable weather caused by climate change blamed for the deaths of up to 17 people. A total of 12 people have now been confirmed dead during Everest expeditions this season and another five are missing, according to the Himalayan Database, which keeps track of mountain fatalities. ALSO WATCH | Nepal marks 70th International Everest Day 2023 “Altogether this year we lost 17 people on the mountain this season. The main cause is the change in the weather. This season the weather conditions were not favourable, it was very variable. Climate change is having a big impact in the mountains,” Yuba Raj Khatiwada, the director of Nepal’s tourism department told the Guardian. This makes 2023 one of the worst years on Everest, only surpassed by the events of 2014 when 17 died, most of them local sherpas killed in an avalanche. Every year, between five and ten people die on Everest, although there has been an increase recently. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

WATCH | 'Nearly impossible operation': Nepali sherpa rescues Malaysian climber from Everest's 'death zone'

In Pics | Nepali sherpa saves Malaysian climber in rare Everest 'death zone' rescue

With reports of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/everest-traffic-jam-survivor-calls-for-tougher-rules-222135">over 10 people killed</a> recently while trying to scale the world highest peak, Mount Everest, global interest mounts around the ambitious expedition, the traffic on the peak and why has it turned into a 'death zone'.

WION got in touch with Ravindra Kumar, an Indian mountaineer who has not only scaled the summit successfully but has achieved the feat twice in his life.&nbsp;

Kumar spoke to WION on a host of issues surrounding the expedition - from the large number of permits being granted for the expedition, the commercialisation of the summit to the side from the which the mountaineers attempt to summit the peak.

"Actually the problem of traffic is on the south side of the peak. As you rightly said, over 380 permits were issued. I climbed from the north side where only 171 permits were given," Kumar told WION.&nbsp;

Kumar said that beyond 8,000 metres, the air gets so thin and the content of oxygen in the air is so less that "a person who lives at the sea-level would die within a couple of minutes. That is why the Everest is called the 'death zone'".

Watch: 'Human Traffic Jam' atop Mount Everest claimed 11 lives this season

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/human-traffic-jam-atop-mount-everest-claimed-11-lives-this-season-222470/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Kumar is the first IAS officer to scale the summit. He received Sikkim Khel Ratna and has penned a book called 'Many Everest'.

"We use bottled supplementary oxygen. We carry them for the summit. If you end up consuming more number of bottles while stuck in traffic and are not left with any more oxygen bottles, then ultimately you will run out of oxygen and die," Kumar informed.

Kumar first scaled the peak in the year 2013 and then this year. He said the place is so dangerous that one just wants to start on the descent, adding that as many as "only 10 people can stand at the summit at a time".

Over 11 have died in little more than two weeks after poor weather cut the climbing window, leaving mountaineers waiting in long queues to the summit, risking exhaustion and running out of oxygen.&nbsp;

Nepal issued a record 381 Everest permits this season, and several hundred of the summiteers are not properly trained, take poor decisions and risk their life.

As per a report by news agency AFP, at least four deaths on the world's highest mountain have been blamed on over-crowding with teams waiting sometimes for hours in the "death zone" where the cold is bitter, the air dangerously thin and the terrain treacherous.

This year's Everest toll is the highest since 2014-15 when huge earthquakes triggered devastating avalanches, the report stated.&nbsp;

With reports of over 10 people killed recently while trying to scale the world highest peak, Mount Everest, global interest mounts around the ambitious expedition, the traffic on the peak and why has it turned into a 'death zone'.

With reports of over 10 people killed recently while trying to scale the world highest peak, Mount Everest, global interest mounts around the ambitious expedition, the traffic on the peak and why has it turned into a 'death zone'. WION got in touch with Ravindra Kumar, an Indian mountaineer who has not only scaled the summit successfully but has achieved the feat twice in his life. Kumar spoke to WION on a host of issues surrounding the expedition - from the large number of permits being granted for the expedition, the commercialisation of the summit to the side from the which the mountaineers attempt to summit the peak. "Actually the problem of traffic is on the south side of the peak. As you rightly said, over 380 permits were issued. I climbed from the north side where only 171 permits were given," Kumar told WION. Kumar said that beyond 8,000 metres, the air gets so thin and the content of oxygen in the air is so less that "a person who lives at the sea-level would die within a couple of minutes. That is why the Everest is called the 'death zone'". Watch: 'Human Traffic Jam' atop Mount Everest claimed 11 lives this season Kumar is the first IAS officer to scale the summit. He received Sikkim Khel Ratna and has penned a book called 'Many Everest'. "We use bottled supplementary oxygen. We carry them for the summit. If you end up consuming more number of bottles while stuck in traffic and are not left with any more oxygen bottles, then ultimately you will run out of oxygen and die," Kumar informed. Kumar first scaled the peak in the year 2013 and then this year. He said the place is so dangerous that one just wants to start on the descent, adding that as many as "only 10 people can stand at the summit at a time". Over 11 have died in little more than two weeks after poor weather cut the climbing window, leaving mountaineers waiting in long queues to the summit, risking exhaustion and running out of oxygen. Nepal issued a record 381 Everest permits this season, and several hundred of the summiteers are not properly trained, take poor decisions and risk their life. As per a report by news agency AFP, at least four deaths on the world's highest mountain have been blamed on over-crowding with teams waiting sometimes for hours in the "death zone" where the cold is bitter, the air dangerously thin and the terrain treacherous. This year's Everest toll is the highest since 2014-15 when huge earthquakes triggered devastating avalanches, the report stated.

Indian mountaineer Ravindra Kumar speaks to WION, explains why Everest has turned into 'death zone'

With reports of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/everest-traffic-jam-survivor-calls-for-tougher-rules-222135">over 10 people killed</a> recently while trying to scale the world highest peak, Mount Everest, global interest mounts around the ambitious expedition, the traffic on the peak and why has it turned into a 'death zone'.

WION got in touch with Ravindra Kumar, an Indian mountaineer who has not only scaled the summit successfully but has achieved the feat twice in his life.&nbsp;

Kumar spoke to WION on a host of issues surrounding the expedition - from the large number of permits being granted for the expedition, the commercialisation of the summit to the side from the which the mountaineers attempt to summit the peak.

"Actually the problem of traffic is on the south side of the peak. As you rightly said, over 380 permits were issued. I climbed from the north side where only 171 permits were given," Kumar told WION.&nbsp;

Kumar said that beyond 8,000 metres, the air gets so thin and the content of oxygen in the air is so less that "a person who lives at the sea-level would die within a couple of minutes. That is why the Everest is called the 'death zone'".

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/human-traffic-jam-atop-mount-everest-claimed-11-lives-this-season-222470/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Kumar is the first IAS officer to scale the summit. He received Sikkim Khel Ratna and has penned a book called 'Many Everest'.

"We use bottled supplementary oxygen. We carry them for the summit. If you end up consuming more number of bottles while stuck in traffic and are not left with any more oxygen bottles, then ultimately you will run out of oxygen and die," Kumar informed.

Kumar first scaled the peak in the year 2013 and then this year. He said the place is so dangerous that one just wants to start on the descent, adding that as many as "only 10 people can stand at the summit at a time".

Over 11 have died in little more than two weeks after poor weather cut the climbing window, leaving mountaineers waiting in long queues to the summit, risking exhaustion and running out of oxygen.&nbsp;

Nepal issued a record 381 Everest permits this season, and several hundred of the summiteers are not properly trained, take poor decisions and risk their life.

As per a report by news agency AFP, at least four deaths on the world's highest mountain have been blamed on over-crowding with teams waiting sometimes for hours in the "death zone" where the cold is bitter, the air dangerously thin and the terrain treacherous.

This year's Everest toll is the highest since 2014-15 when huge earthquakes triggered devastating avalanches, the report stated.&nbsp;

With reports of over 10 people killed recently while trying to scale the world highest peak, Mount Everest, global interest mounts around the ambitious expedition, the traffic on the peak and why has it turned into a 'death zone'. WION got in touch with Ravindra Kumar, an Indian mountaineer who has not only scaled the summit successfully but has achieved the feat twice in his life. Kumar spoke to WION on a host of issues surrounding the expedition - from the large number of permits being granted for the expedition, the commercialisation of the summit to the side from the which the mountaineers attempt to summit the peak. "Actually the problem of traffic is on the south side of the peak. As you rightly said, over 380 permits were issued. I climbed from the north side where only 171 permits were given," Kumar told WION. Kumar said that beyond 8,000 metres, the air gets so thin and the content of oxygen in the air is so less that "a person who lives at the sea-level would die within a couple of minutes. That is why the Everest is called the 'death zone'". Kumar is the first IAS officer to scale the summit. He received Sikkim Khel Ratna and has penned a book called 'Many Everest'. "We use bottled supplementary oxygen. We carry them for the summit. If you end up consuming more number of bottles while stuck in traffic and are not left with any more oxygen bottles, then ultimately you will run out of oxygen and die," Kumar informed. Kumar first scaled the peak in the year 2013 and then this year. He said the place is so dangerous that one just wants to start on the descent, adding that as many as "only 10 people can stand at the summit at a time". Over 11 have died in little more than two weeks after poor weather cut the climbing window, leaving mountaineers waiting in long queues to the summit, risking exhaustion and running out of oxygen. Nepal issued a record 381 Everest permits this season, and several hundred of the summiteers are not properly trained, take poor decisions and risk their life. As per a report by news agency AFP, at least four deaths on the world's highest mountain have been blamed on over-crowding with teams waiting sometimes for hours in the "death zone" where the cold is bitter, the air dangerously thin and the terrain treacherous. This year's Everest toll is the highest since 2014-15 when huge earthquakes triggered devastating avalanches, the report stated.

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