By APD writer Rishika Chauhan

NEW DELHI, May 27 (APD) - Since last week reports suggest that around seven Indians have died so far while climbing Mount Everest, the highest mountain the world.

On Thursday, around 120 climbers scaled Mount Everest, however, the crowd on the mountain led to many being stranded and consequently dehydrated and exhausted.

Seven Indians died while being stranded, including two women Anjali Sharad Kulkarni, 54, from Mumbai, and 49-year-old Kalpana Das, from the province of Odisha.

The deaths happened while they were descending the mountain. Another Indian who died was NihalAshpakBagwan, 27, from Pune.

Mira Acharya, a Nepal tourism department official, confirmed the deaths.

This year, Nepal issued 379 permits to climb Mount Everest. The climbing for this season will end in May end.

So far, 17 climbers have died or are missing in Nepal, of the seven are Indians, since March when the climbing season started.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)