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Report: Two more found dead on Everest; American climbers march for summit

The bodies of two additional people were found Monday, CBS News reported.

By Andrew V. Pestano and Doug G. Ware

KATHMANDU, Nepal, May 23 (UPI) -- The last four days near the world's tallest peak have been extraordinarily deadly, as perhaps six climbers have now reportedly succumbed on the perilous mountain -- with two more found Monday.

The first of the six, Phurba Sherpa, a 25-year-old Nepalese guide, died on Mount Everest Thursday after a fall. In the days following, a Dutch climber, an Australian woman and an Indian man also died.

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The bodies of two more Indian climbers were found Monday, CBS News reported, taking the toll to six. Authorities previously said they were looking for two missing Indian climbers.

"It is not clear what happened. We believe the weather suddenly deteriorated at some point, and the team lost direction," Wanchu Sherpa said in a CNN report.

About 330 climbers have successfully scaled Mount Everest this season, which began in April after a two-year hiatus following a 2014 avalanche and the 2015 Nepal earthquake. More than 250 people have died climbing the mountain since 1953 and many of those were due to altitude-related illnesses.

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"When it gets really bad it can get water pooling in your lungs," Mount Everest expert Jim Davidson said. "Water pooling in your brain, and it can be fatal in just a day or so when it strikes at a very serious level."

"We will never get the risk down to zero because it's a dangerous game and a lot of things can go wrong in high altitude," he added.

At least one person has died on Everest every year since 1900.

More than 30 people have suffered from severe frostbite and altitude sickness in recent days while on Everest, officials said.

Two American climbers, Adrian Ballinger and Cory Richards, were expected to reach the 29,000-foot summit on Everest Monday, CBS News reported. They have been using Snapchat to document and broadcast their ascent.

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