Climber dies on Everest

Katmandu - A Japanese climber who became ill while attempting to scale Mount Everest died just several hundred meters from the summit, a Nepalese official said on Friday.

Takashi Ozaki was headed down the slopes of the Everest on Thursday after feeling sick when he collapsed at an altitude of 8 600 metres, Department of Mountaineering official Tilak Pandey said. He died that afternoon.

Pandey said attempts are being made to bring down the body of the 59-year-old climber, and it most likely will be picked up on Saturday by a helicopter from a lower camp.

Ozaki was attempting to reach the 8 850 metres summit with a team of international climbers.

He is the third climber to die this year while attempting to climb the world's highest peak from the southern side. More than 200 climbers are known to have died while attempting to climb Everest.

In 1996, Ozaki became the first climber to summit Mt. Hkakabo Razi, Myanmar's highest peak at 5 881 metres, according to the Uemura Naomi Memorial Museum, a private foundation that gives out awards in the name of the famous Japanese climber.