Two Mount Everest climbers missing and presumed dead following an ice collapse

Two Mount Everest hikers are believed to be dead after an icy ridge collapsed on Hilary Step, a vertical rock face close to the summit.

Daniel Paterson, 39, from Wakefield, and guide Pastenji Sherpa, 23, did reach the top of the mountain but later "fell down towards the Tibet side through a very vertical steep," according to the BBC.

Adventure company 8K Expeditions said that rescue teams were unable to find them and it's very unlikely that they are alive. The two were part of a 15-person group who had all reached the top. 

The area that the two men fell from is known as the "death zone," according to the New York Post. At least five others attempting to reach the peak of Mt. Everest have died trying over the past two weeks, according to the outlet.

The "death zone" is above 8,000m and doesn't have oxygen levels and air pressure that can sustain human life. The peak of Everest is at 29,032 feet. 

"We are supporting the family of a British man who is missing in Nepal and are in touch with local authorities." a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement.