In a heartbreaking tragedy high above the clouds, two Indian mountaineers lost their lives while descending from the summit of Mount Everest after completing one of the world’s toughest climbs.

The climbers, identified as Arun Kumar Tiwari and Sandeep Are, had achieved the dream of standing atop the world’s highest mountain, only for the deadly descent to turn fatal.

According to Nepal expedition officials, both men became severely exhausted during their return journey from the 8,848.86-metre peak. Despite desperate rescue attempts by Sherpa guides battling brutal conditions in the “death zone,” neither climber could be saved.

‘Guides worked really hard,’ said Rishi Bhandari, Secretary General of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal, adding that exhaustion at extreme altitude appears to have played a major role in the tragedy.

Sandeep Are reportedly reached the summit on May 20, while Arun Kumar Tiwari scaled Everest the following evening around 5.30 pm. Are died during the descent on Thursday, while the exact time of Tiwari’s death remains unclear.

The tragedy comes amid a historic climbing season on Everest. Just a day before the deaths, a record-breaking 274 climbers successfully summited the mountain in a single day — the highest number ever recorded.

Three Indians, including Are, were among those who achieved the feat alongside Tulasi Reddi Palpunoori and Ajay Pal Singh Dhaliwal.

Another Indian climber, Lakshmikanta Mandal, also reached the summit the following day.

Known for its thin oxygen levels, freezing winds, and unpredictable weather, Everest’s descent is often considered more dangerous than the climb itself. Many climbers collapse from exhaustion after spending all their energy reaching the top.

The twin deaths have once again exposed the deadly risks hidden behind the glory of conquering the world’s tallest mountain, where triumph and tragedy can be separated by just a few steps.