KATHMANDU:  A 66-year-old Peruvian-French climber died on Mt. Ama Dablam, marking the first fatality on the mountain this season, sources confirmed.

The climber, Hugo Lucio Colonia Lazaro, passed away while undergoing treatment at Kathmandu's HAMS Hospital in the early hours of October 24.

According to sources, Lazaro was hit by an ice block just below Camp III while descending from the summit on October 23, said agency officials.

He had successfully reached the summit with other team members at approximately 6:00 a.m. that same day.

Officials reported that a helicopter rescue mission evacuated Lazaro from Camp III to Kathmandu for emergency treatment. Doctors attending to him stated that the climber sustained serious head injuries, though the exact cause of the fall has not been detailed. His climbing guide is expected to arrive in Kathmandu on October 25.

Lazaro was part of an expedition organized locally by Himalaya Vision Treks. His family has been notified of the incident.
Efforts are underway to repatriate his body, with family members expected to arrive in Kathmandu from Switzerland on October 26.

This season, more than 340 climbers have obtained permits from the Department of Tourism to attempt to climb Ama Dablam.

This evening, Himalaya Vision Treks has informed the Department of Tourism that he suffered from high-altitude sickness and snow blindness while descending from Camp III.

Eds: The nationality of the deceased has been updated to Peruvian-French.