KATHMANDU, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Swiss veteran mountaineer Uwe Gianni Goltz, 44, died on the way to the Mt. Qomolangma, the world's highest peak, local newspaper The Kathmandu Post reported Saturday.

    Goltz became the first victim of the Mt. Qomolangma from its south side in Nepal this season, the paper added.

    More than 200 climbers have died at the Mt. Qomolangma since it was conquered in 1953.

    On Friday, 22 climbers scaled the world's highest peak. The summiteers include 13 Nepali high altitude workers and nine foreign mountaineers.

    According to a statement by Federation of Nepali Journalists, Mingma Dorje Sherpa, a Solukhumbu correspondent of Nepal Television was among Friday's climbers.

    A report said that 86 climbers reached the top of the Mt. Qomolangma on Thursday, the highest number of climbers to scale the world's tallest peak on a single day from the Nepali side.

    In the meantime, the weather is getting worse on Mt. Qomolangma, forcing many climbers to halt attempt on the summit.

    "We have fresh reports, stating that many climbers have temporarily halted the attempt to reach the top," said Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association, "But, the weather is expected to improve soon."