Mountaineering officials in Nepal on Thursday confirmed that climbers have scaled Mount Everest for the first time in two years. A group of nine Nepalese Sherpas or guides set foot on the summit on Wednesday. Another team comprising two Britons, a Mexican and three more Nepalese guides arrived at the peak a few hours later.

Members of the local Sherpa community have traditionally helped mountaineers by carrying equipment and fixing ropes along their path, among other tasks. The group of nine Sherpas paved the way for subsequent teams to make the treacherous climb to 8,848 metres above sea level. Nearly 300 people are expected to attempt the expedition this year.

Climbers have stayed away from Mount Everest for the past two years after natural calamities in the region caused widespread damage and loss of life. In 2014, 16 Sherpas died in an avalanche while on their way to the summit. In 2015, a massive earthquake hit Nepal, killing 18 people who were attempting to scale the world's highest peak.