Kenyan mountaineer dies in quest for Everest Summit

Kirui
Cheruiyot Kirui shared this photo on Instagram before kicking off the Mount Everest expedition. Photo Credit: INSTAGRAM via Cheruiyot Kirui (cheruiyot_ak)

Kenyan climber, Cheruiyot Kirui, met his untimely death in a daring bid to conquer the towering heights of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak.

Kirui, a seasoned climber with multiple ascents of Mount Kenya, reportedly went missing in the hazardous heights over 8,000 metres on Everest. His lifeless body was located in the dangerous ‘death zone’ the next morning.

Everest Today, a mountaineering-focused publication, announcing the tragedy on X stated, “With profound sadness, we share the news of Kenyan mountaineer Cheruiyot Kirui’s passing on Mt #Everest. His body was found a few meters below the summit point of Mt Everest.”

According to reports, the rescue team from Seven Summit Treks, which was coordinating the global expedition, discovered Kirui’s body. The team included climbers from the United Kingdom and Nepal.

Kirui’s fate took a terrible turn when he went beyond the safety of additional oxygen, which was a break from traditional climbing techniques. His goal was to push the human body’s boundaries at great elevations.

“The challenge for me would be without supplemental oxygen; otherwise, I wouldn’t feel like I’ve achieved much. So I want to see how my body can cope in such altitude,” Kirui remarked before embarking on his perilous journey.

However, the mountain’s cruel nature took another victim, making Kirui the second casualty of the disastrous expedition, following the death of Romanian climber Gabriel Tavara.

Kirui’s family and his company, Kenya Commercial Bank, are yet to speak on the news of their family member and employee, respectively.

Climbing Everest is a test of human resilience unlike any other, a reminder that the summit’s attraction is only equaled by its peril. Many have lost their lives while embarking on this expedition.

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