Everest ban on young mountaineers

The government in Nepal says that from now on, children under the age of 16 will not be allowed to climb the world's highest mountain, Everest.

The decision follows recent incidents when two teenagers who were said to have been suffering from mental and physical exhaustion, were injured while climbing the mountain.

The ban means that a 15-year-old Nepalese mountaineer, Temba Tsheri Sherpa, will retain the record he won last year, as the youngest person to reach the summit of Everest.

His earlier bid had to be abandoned when he lost five fingers to frostbite.

More than 160 people have died attempting to climb Everest.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service