Australian trekker dies near Mount Everest base camp

KATHMANDU, Nepal – Police in Nepal say an Australian trekker has died near the Mount Everest base camp, possibly due to high-altitude sickness.

Police official Khil Raj Bhattarai said Monday that the 49-year-old man died Friday at Lobuche village, located just below the base camp, at 4,940 meters (16,200 feet).

The body was taken to Kathmandu, Nepal's capital.

Australian news reports said the man was from Melbourne.

Thousands of foreign trekkers hike up to the base camp during the spring and autumn season, when the weather is favorable. High-altitude sickness is also common for visitors to the area who are not used to the thinner level of oxygen.