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File image of the Mt Everest(Source: X)

Kathmandu, May 5: Early Tuesday morning, two climbers—a mountaineer from India and a Sherpa guide—sustained injuries due to a serac collapse along the Khumbu Icefall route on Mt. Everest, as reported by Nepal's Department of Tourism.

The injured individuals have been identified as 40-year-old Nimish Kumar Singh from India and 44-year-old Pembha Tenduk Sherpa, a guide from Nepal.

The incident took place around 5:45 a.m. when a serac collapse sent ice tumbling onto the main climbing path, impacting members of the expedition team.

A serac is defined as a large, unstable ice block or pinnacle, typically formed by intersecting crevasses on a glacier's surface or steep icefalls.

At the time of the accident, climbers holding permits and Sherpa guides from various expedition agencies were making their way from Camp II to Camp I via the Khumbu Icefall as part of their acclimatization process, having previously ascended from Everest Base Camp.

The Khumbu Icefall is notorious for being one of the most perilous sections of the Everest climbing route, characterized by frequent ice shifts and serac collapses, especially during the early climbing season.

Following the incident, a team of Sherpa guides from Pioneer Adventure Pvt. Ltd. and Summit Force Expedition promptly executed a rescue operation and notified officials stationed at Everest Base Camp.

A helicopter evacuation was quickly coordinated by a team from Seven Summit Trek Pvt. Ltd. By approximately 6:30 a.m., a helicopter arrived from Lukla airport near Mt. Everest to airlift the injured climbers to Kathmandu for medical attention.

Both individuals were transported to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, where they are currently receiving treatment. The department confirmed that their conditions are stable and they are no longer in danger.

This spring season, Nepal has seen a surge in the number of mountaineers, particularly those aiming to summit Mt. Everest, despite the government increasing the royalty fee for climbers to $11,000 from $8,000 per person and ongoing flight disruptions due to the conflict in West Asia involving the United States and Iran.

As of May 1, the Department of Tourism reported that 464 climbers from 47 teams had been issued permits to ascend the world's highest peak. Among these, 58 climbers from 25 expedition teams hail from India. In total, 1,050 climbers from 125 teams have received permits to scale various peaks throughout Nepal.