'Oldest climber' dies in Everest attempt

A former Nepalese foreign minister has died on the slopes of Mount Everest while attempting to become the oldest person to climb the world's highest mountain.

Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay, 82, was returning from the first camp, on the slopes of Everest, to the base camp for medical attention after feeling unwell, when he collapsed on Monday evening.

Companions gave him water and oxygen, but he died from what is believed to have been high-altitude sickness, a common cause of death among climbers, Nepal's Mountaineering Department said.