A Nepali mountain guide has gone missing while descending Mount Everest as climbers rushed to conclude their expeditions ahead of the end of the spring climbing season.

Dawa Sherpa of Okhaldhunga, who was working with a Polish climber, went missing near Camp III on May 29, the final day of Nepal’s official spring climbing season, according to Himalayan Traverse Adventure Pvt. Ltd., the expedition operator.

The company said details of the incident have not yet been confirmed. Operator Dawa Sherpa said he was attending a meeting related to the search operation and declined to share further information.

The Department of Tourism has not issued any official statement on the case so far. Expedition operators have urged authorities to provide clear updates on the search and inform the family without delay.

At least seven climbers and guides have died on Everest and Mount Makalu this season, according to expedition operators, underscoring ongoing safety risks in high-altitude expeditions.

Mountaineering businesses say the latest disappearance has deepened concerns over safety management and monitoring in the mountains.

The government had said around 60 liaison officers were deployed this season to monitor peaks above 6,500 metres. However, an expedition official said the lack of timely information reflects coordination gaps in the system.

“It is unfortunate that even days after a climber or guide goes missing on Everest, the government mechanism still does not have clear information. Although effective presence of liaison officers was expected, the results have not matched that expectation,” the official said.

He also said the body of an Indian climber remains stuck near the Hillary Step on Everest and could not be retrieved this season.

With the climbing season now closed, the Everest rope-fixing team has ended its work, and routes from base camp to Camp II have been dismantled, according to the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee.

The Department of Tourism said 495 permits were issued for Everest this spring, generating Rs 1.08 billion in royalty revenue. Although the department has not yet released final figures on the number of successful summits this season, successful summits are reported to be more than 1,000.