British climbing legend Noel Hanna, 56, who summitted Everest 10 times dies while descending from 26,545ft Annapurna mountain in Nepal

• Officials said the climber’s body had been flown to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu
• Hanna lived in Dromore in Co Down with his wife Lynne, who is also a climber 

Renowned Northern Irish climber Noel Hanna has died in Nepal while descending from the top of the treacherous Annapurna mountain range, officials said Tuesday.

The 56-year-old adventurer was returning after a successful summit of the 26,545-foot peak when he died at Camp 4 on Monday night.

‘His body has been brought down and flown to Kathmandu,’ Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks told AFP new agency from Annapurna base camp.

Hanna had summited Everest ten times and climbed the highest point on all seven continents. He was also the first person from the island of Ireland to successfully climb and descend from K2, the world’s second highest mountain.

In 2006, he climbed the world’s highest peak and then cycled from the route’s base camp to the sea in eastern India, reaching the Bay of Bengal after a marathon two-week bike ride. 

Renowned Northern Irish climber Noel Hanna (pictured) died in Nepal while descending from the top of the treacherous Annapurna mountain range, officials said Tuesday 

Hanna lived in Dromore in Co Down with his wife Lynne (pictured together), who is also an experienced climber, and the two had scaled Everest together in 2016

Hanna lived in Dromore in Co Down with his wife Lynne, who is also an experienced climber, and the two had scaled Everest together in 2016. 

Tributes poured in after his death was announced.

Mourne Mountain Adventures said it was ‘very saddened’ to hear of the death of Mr Hanna and sent its condolences to his family and his wife.

‘There is some peace in that he spent his last moments doing what he loved best, such a great man and one of Northern Ireland’s finest mountaineers,’ it said.

DUP MLA for Antrim Paul Frew said on Twitter: ‘So sorry to hear of the death of Noel Hanna from Northern Ireland who had just become the 1st Irish climber to summit Annapurna.

‘Noel was an absolute legend climbing K2, Manaslu, and Everest 10 times! My thoughts & prayers are with his family at this sad time.’ 

Annapurna, the world’s tenth highest mountain, is avalanche-prone, technically difficult and has a higher death rate than Everest.

Rescuers and helicopters were busy on the mountain on Tuesday in efforts to locate three other Indian climbers.

Record-holding Indian climber Baljeet Kaur, 28, and compatriot Arjun Vajpai, 30, were both rescued after a search lasting hours, the tourism department said.

Kaur reached the summit on Monday, but fell ill on the way down because she was not using any supplemental bottled oxygen, said Pasang Sherpa of Pioneer Adventure, who outfitted the expedition and organised a rescue effort. 

She was taken to a hospital in Kathmandu, where she walked from the ambulance to the hospital building with the help of a nurse, pictures showed.

Another 34-year-old Indian climber, who fell into a crevasse on Monday, is yet to be found.

The popular spring mountaineering season has just begun in the Himalayas in Nepal and hundreds of climbers have begun climbing the highest peaks. 

Tributes to Noel Hanna (pictured with his wife) poured in after his death was announced

Noel Hanna (left) is seen with his wife (right) and their dog

Pictured: An ambulance carrying the dead body of Irish climber Noel Richmond, 56, brought from Annapurna mountain region is seen in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 18

Annapurna, the world’s tenth highest mountain, is avalanche-prone, technically difficult and has a higher death rate than Everest. Pictured: The peak of Annapurna is seen in the distance (file photo)

But the spring Himalayan climbing season had a tragic start last week with the death of three Nepali climbers on Everest.

The trio were crossing the treacherous Khumbu icefall on Wednesday as part of a supply mission when a block of glacial ice fell and swept them into a deep crevasse.

Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of adventurers each spring climbing season, when temperatures are warm and winds are typically calm.

The government has issued more than 700 climbing permits for various Himalayan mountains this season, including 319 for Everest.

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