Record 274 climbers scale Mount Everest in a single day from Nepali side

A record number of 274 climbers scaled Mount Everest yesterday - the highest number ever to reach the world's tallest peak on the same day from the Nepali side.

The 8,849-metre Everest straddles the border between Nepal and the Tibet region of China and can be climbed from both sides.

Expedition operators say there were no climbers on theTibetan side this year as Chinese authorities had not issued any permits.

An Irish team of climbers, including former Mayo footballer Pádraig O'Hora, were among those to reach the summit in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The three-man team, with Éanna McGowan from Dublin and Adam Sweeney from Waterford, completed their climb to the top of the world's highest mountain after a 47-day expedition in Nepal.

Rishi Bhandari, secretary general ‌of the Expedition Operators Association ⁠of Nepal, said this year's record compared with the previous highest of 223 ascents from the Nepali side on 22 May 2019.

"This is the highest number of climbers in a single day sofar," Mr Bhandari told Reuters, adding the number could rise as some climbers who had reached the summit might ‌not have informed the base camp about their feat yet.

There are no figures available from China on how many climbers reach the ⁠peak, but Mr Bhandari said in the normal climbing season of April and May, about ‌100 people head to Everest from the Tibetan side.

Department of Tourism official ⁠Himal Gautam said ‌he had received preliminary information that more than 250 people climbed the peak yesterday.

"We wait for climbers to return, give us photographs andother evidence to prove their ascents and provide them withclimbing certificates," Mr Gautam ⁠told Reuters.

"Only then we will be able to confirm the numbers."

Nepal has issued 494 permits ⁠to climb Everest this year, each costing around €13,000.

Mountaineering experts often criticise Nepal for allowing large numbers of climbers on the mountain which sometimes leads to risky traffic jams or long queues in the so-called "deathzone" area below the summit, where the level of natural oxygen is dangerously below what is required for human survival.

Nepal has acknowledged risks from congestion and inexperienced climbers ‌by introducing tighter controls and higher fees.