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THEY reportedly had to wait for four long hours in the cold. By the time help arrived, it was too late for the two Singaporeanswho had died of altitude sickness in Tibet, said Chinese eveningdaily Lianhe Wanbao yesterday. This is according to a Chinese trekker from Guangzhou who was amongfive passers-by present at the scene. The deceased - believed to be a 66-year-old man and a 61-year-oldwoman - were part of a 10-member Singapore tour group of Buddhistdevotees. They were visiting Mount Kailash, a 6,638m-tall mountain consideredsacred by Buddhists and Hindus. Eyewitnesses said that during thewait for rescue on Monday, cardiopulmonary resuscitation wasperformed on the woman. The Chinese trekker also got an oxygen tankfor her. The man had died earlier. In a statement e-mailed to my paper, the Ministry of ForeignAffairs (MFA) said it had dispatched an officer from its embassy inBeijing to Lhasa on Tuesday to provide assistance to the affectedSingaporeans. "We are working closely with the local authorities to facilitatethe return of the remaining eight members of the tour group toSingapore," said an MFA spokesman. "We extend our condolences to the families of the two Singaporeanswho died and have been in contact with their next- of-kin inSingapore." Located in the western region of Tibet, the popular mountain isvisited by thousands of pilgrims each year. Trip to Mount Kailash believed to bring good luck A basic pilgrimage involves a 52km walk around the peak, whichnetizens have described as "treacherous" and "difficult tonavigate". Besides the rocky terrain, pilgrims have to be prepared for coldweather, such as heavy rain or snow. The full walk typically takes about three days, but some pilgrimstry to complete the journey within a day. It is believed that thetrip will help cleanse sins and bring good luck. Altitude sickness is a potentially fatal condition that affectsthose who are not accustomed to high elevations of 1,500m andabove. However, it is more common at elevations above 2,500m. It can affect individuals of all ages and fitness levels, said DrDavid Teo, medical director of International SOS, a globalmedical-assistance company. He added that people most at risk are "those who have experiencedaltitude illness, people who have heart or lung problems, andpeople under the age of 50" who tend to ignore the symptoms ofaltitude sickness. shong@sph.com.sg For more my paper stories click here . We are high quality suppliers, our products such as HDPE Plastic Sheets Manufacturer , China POM Sheet for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Wave Solder Pallet.
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