1996 Indo-Tibetan Border Police expedition to Mount Everest

Three members of the ITBP expedition continued on to the summit; none returned, adding three deaths to five among two commercial parties spread over the Southeast and Northeast routes up the mountain that became known as the 1996 Mount Everest climbing disaster.

The expedition was led by Commandant Mohinder Singh and is credited by some as being the first Indian ascent of Everest from the North Side.

[6] Due to bad visibility and thick clouds which obscured the summit, the climbers believed they had reached the top.

[citation needed] The three climbers left an offering of prayer flags, khatas, and pitons.

Samanla, the summit team leader, decided to spend extra time for religious ceremonies and instructed the other two climbers to begin their descent.

[citation needed] On 11 May 1996, on the morning after Samanla, Paljor, and Morup had made their push for the summit and encountered the blizzard, a Japanese team from the Fukuoka expedition started its final ascent from the north side.

After ascending the second step, they ran into the other two climbers, probably Samanla with either Paljor or Morup "[one] apparently close to death, the other crouching in the snow," Krakauer writes, "no words were passed, no water, food or oxygen exchanged hands.

"[1] The ITBP's director general "commented that a misunderstanding arose from communication difficulties between Indian attack party members and their Base Camp.