At least 100 climbers on Mount Everest have been infected with COVID-19, a mountaineering guide claims.
It is the first comprehensive estimation, despite official Nepalese denials that the virus has spread to the world's highest point.
Austrian Lukas Furtenbach, who halted his Everest expedition last week due to virus concerns, said one of his foreign and six Nepali Sherpa guides had tested positive.
"I think with all the confirmed cases we know now - confirmed from [rescue] pilots, from insurance, from doctors, from expedition leaders - I have the positive tests so we can prove this," Furtenbach said.
He said that it was clear that there were several cases at Everest base camp because he could see people who were sick and hear people coughing in their tents.
This season, 408 foreign climbers were granted permits to climb Everest, assisted by hundreds of Sherpas and support staff stationed at base camp since April.
Nepalese mountaineering officials have denied that there are any active cases among climbers and support staff at any of the country's Himalayan base camps this season. Mountaineering was closed due to the pandemic last year.
According to reports, other climbing teams have not reported any cases of COVID-19 infection among their members or workers. Several climbers have reportedly tested positive after being taken down from Everest base camp.
Nepal is facing a virus outbreak, with new infections and deaths at an all-time high. China canceled climbing from its side of Mount Everest last week, citing concerns that the virus might be spread from the Nepalese side.
On Friday, Nepal recorded 8,607 new infections and 177 deaths, taking the country's totals since the pandemic began to over 497,000 infections and 6,024 deaths.
A Norwegian climber became the first to test positive at Everest base camp in April. He was taken by helicopter to Kathmandu, where he was treated before being flown back home.
