The search for Mr Lawless, from Bray, Co Wicklow has now turned into a recovery operation in an area known as the death zone where oxygen levels are very low.

Indian climber Ravi Thakar was found dead inside his tent on Mount Everest at 7,900m Camp Four in Nepal last Friday morning. Severe altitude sickness is being blamed for his death.

The search is unlikely to get back underway today as night falls on the mountain and the situation will be reassessed tomorrow morning

ROYALIST candidates who dominated local elections called by Nepal’s king duly cleaned up in the violence-plagued poll, according to official partial results.