Renowned mountaineer “Li Xiaoshi” passed away while climbing Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest peak. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ representative office in New Delhi, India, will dispatch personnel to assist with handling the remains and covering rescue expenses.

Li Xiaoshi, 58, was born in Matsu and currently resides in Puzi City, Chiayi County. On April 8, he carried a statue of the Goddess Mazu as he began his ascent of Lhotse. On the evening of May 17, he successfully reached the summit but fell into a coma on the descent, likely due to extreme physical exhaustion.

Yesterday, while awaiting rescue, Li Xiaoshi was treated by a doctor from an international mountaineering team and was conscious, showing signs of improvement. However, today brings the sad news of his passing.

Lyu Hanyue, a fellow climber who was with Li Xiaoshi at the Lhotse base camp on April 8, relayed information at noon today from Lin Quanming, another climber at the base camp, who had sent news back to Taiwan. According to the report, Li Xiaoshi passed away peacefully in his sleep this morning, “without pain and in a serene state.”

Lyu Hanyue also soon received confirmation from the mountaineering company. He said that Li Xiaoshi had previously told his family many times that if he were to die in the mountains one day, he wanted his body to remain there, buried in the highlands to stay close to the mountains forever.

However, as the Nepalese government does not allow bodies to remain on the mountain unless they cannot be retrieved, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proactively stepped in to assist with handling Li Xiaoshi’s affairs in Nepal.

Lyu Hanyue stated that since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have an embassy in Nepal, its representative office in New Delhi, India, dispatched personnel to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, this afternoon. They will assist with handling the remains, obtaining a death certificate, dealing with leftover belongings, and covering rescue expenses, among other related matters.

Li Xiaoshi’s son, Li Yao, also posted on Facebook this afternoon, expressing gratitude for everyone’s concern and stating that Li Xiaoshi “is about to ascend spiritually to another peak 80 million kilometers high and will not be able to meet with everyone for the time being!” and “We love Taiwan, Taiwan is number one ! Thank you all!” 1020520

(Central News Agency)