Body of Malaysian climber to be flown home

The body of Mohamad Shahrulnizam Ahmad Nazari who died during an expedition to climb Mount Kala Pathar and to the Everest Base Camp in Kathmandu, Nepal is expected to be flown home tomorrow.

Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) Public Relations senior deputy director Zaharah Salamat said the body of the assistant engineerwith PPj had been taken to Lukla at 3pm yesterday (5.15pm Malaysian time).

However, she said, it could not be flown to Kathmandu due to the foggy weather and limitations to air traffic as it was on a mountain slope.

"We expect to be able to send the body home tomorrow if it arrives safely in Kathmandu today.

"The Malaysian embassy in Kathmandu will use an alternative flight to send the body if we fail to use Malaysia Airlines flight which is scheduled for 12.20 tomorrow afternoon," she said in a statement, here, today.

Zaharah said all the other 13 expedition members were reported to be on the descent route in the Dingboche area (near Periche).

The late Mohamad Shahrulnizam, 25, died at 7.15pm (Malaysian time) on Monday at Labuche on the way to the Everest Base Camp after he had acute mountain sickness.

The expedition started on May 27 with 14 climbers (11 men and three women) from the Recreation and Welfare Club of PPj. They were expected to return home on June 10.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued late Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry confirmed that the body of Mohamad Shahrulnizam as well as five other Malaysian climbers had arrived in Kathmandu.

"Fourteen other Malaysians are on their way to Lukla airport before heading to Kathmandu," it said.

Another person who suffered acute mountain sickness, Mohd Yazrul Ekhsan Yahya, 34, was reported to be in a stable condition, the ministry said, adding that 18 others who made up the group had decided to abandon the expedition.