Filipino mountaineer dies climbing Mt. Everest

ISTANBUL

A Filipino mountaineer died while attempting to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Nepal’s Department of Tourism said in a statement on Thursday, local newspaper Kathmandu Post reported.

45-year-old Philipp Santiago arrived at Camp IV visibly fatigued around 8:00 pm (1415GMT) on Wednesday but later died due to exhaustion. His body was found at the site.

The department noted that Santiago's body has been left at Camp IV, situated at an altitude of 7,900 meters (25,919 feet), because of the harsh conditions and the logistical difficulties involved in recovering it.

There have reportedly been over 300 deaths in the Everest region since mountain climbing records began a century ago.

In light of increasing fatalities, Nepal is contemplating stricter regulations for Everest expeditions, such as higher permit fees and mandatory experience qualifications for climbers.

The government registered the Integrated Tourism Bill in the upper house of the federal parliament on April 18, which mandates that any climber wishing to summit Everest must have already conquered a mountain over 7,000 meters (22,965 feet).