Australian tourist, 63, dies while trekking in Nepal's Lukla

An Australian tourist has died while trekking in the remote Solukhumbu District of Nepal, which is home to the world's highest peak Mt Everest, local police have confirmed.

Published 4 April 2023 5:54pm

Updated 5 April 2023 10:20am

By SBS Nepali

Source: SBS

Image: Lukla is a small town in the Khumbu Pasanglhamu rural municipality of the Solukhumbu District. (David Cheskin - PA Images/Getty Images)

Inspector Ram Kishore Sha from the district police office in Solukhumbu confirmed the death of a 63-year-old Australian man while trekking to Tumlingtar in Lukla, a region popular among tourists for its peaks.

Inspector Sha said the man and his team arrived in Lukla via Summit Airlines on the morning of April 3.

“They were on a trek to Tumlingtar in Sankhuwasabha District from Lukla. He fell unconscious, and an Australian doctor present at the scene tried to revive him but couldn’t,” Inspector Sha confirmed.

The cause of death has yet to be confirmed.

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In a statement to SBS Nepali, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades (DFAT) has also confirmed the death of an Australian man in Nepal.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian man who died in Nepal,” the spokesperson said.

“We offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

Mt Everest is seen from Namche Bajar, Solukhumbu district, Nepal. Source: AP / Niranjan Shrestha/AP

The body has been taken to a nearby hotel and is expected to be airlifted to Nepal's capital, Kathmandu.

Lukla is a popular place for visitors to the Himalayas near Mt Everest to arrive.

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In cases of death overseas, consular assistance may include support and guidance to families and liaison with local and Australian authorities to assist with funeral arrangements or repatriation of remains.

Australian Embassies have no authority to intervene in local judicial matters, conduct local investigations, or pay for funeral or repatriation costs.

Smartraveller (What happens if you die overseas and how you can prepare | Smartraveller) provides information on what happens when an Australian dies overseas.