German climber buried on Tibetan peak

The remains of a German mountaineer have been buried on the Tibetan mountain where he tumbled to his death after reaching the summit, an official said Monday.

Photo: German climber buried on Tibetan peak

Raimund Spang, 58, fell amid high winds at an altitude of 7,800 meters (25,600 feet) and slid about 70 meters (230 feet) before hitting his head on a rock and falling into an ice chasm, said Zhang Mingxing, secretary-general of the China Tibet Mountaineering Association.

An avid mountaineer, Spang was with a seven-member team scaling Mount Cho Oyu, the world's sixth highest peak, Zhang said.

Mount Cho Oyu, which rises to 8,201 meters (26,906 feet), is just west of Mount Everest in the center of the Himalayas.

Before the accident, the association had warned all climbers of dangerous weather and asked them to tighten safety measures, Zhang said.

Spang's body was recovered and buried at the family's request, he said.

Zhang could not confirm the exact date of the burial, but the official Xinhua News Agency said it took place on Wednesday. The rest of the team planned to fly back to Germany from Lhasa on Tuesday, Zhang said.

Several hundred mountaineers in more than 30 expeditions from 10 countries are currently climbing mountains in Tibet, Zhang said, reports the AP.

I.L.