Irish climber dies, Indian missing after falling into crevasse on Nepal's Annapurna

An Irish climber has died and an Indian is missing after falling into a crevasse in two separate incidents on Mount Annapurna, the world's 10th highest mountain, an expedition organizer said Tuesday. Irish climber Noel Richmond, 56, died Monday while returning from the 8,091-meter (26,540-foot) summit, Thaneswar Guragai of Kathmandu-based Seven Summit Treks said. The cause of death was not immediately known.

His body was carried down the mountain and taken to Kathmandu, the capital, Guragai said. Indian climber Anurag Maloo has been missing since he fell into a crevasse on the same mountain on Monday, Guragai said. A search is continuing for him. The popular spring mountaineering season has just begun in the Himalayas in Nepal and hundreds of climbers have begun climbing the highest peaks. Three Sherpa guides have been missing since last week, when they fell into a crevasse on a treacherous section of Mount Everest just above base camp on the world's highest mountain. The crevasse is estimated to be about 50 meters (160 feet) deep.