Mount Everest ‘grows’ as China, Nepal agree on new height

Nepal until now had recognised the height of the mountain as 8,848m as measured by the Survey of India in 1954.

Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, is 8,848.86m (2,9031.69 ft) tall, China and Nepal jointly announced on Tuesday — 86cm higher than the measurement previously recognised by Nepal, and over four metres above China’s figure. Nepal until now had recognised the height of the mountain as 8,848m as measured by the Survey of India in 1954. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Nepalese counterpart Bidya Devi Bhandari announced the new height of the tallest mountain in the world through an exchange of letters. It marked the end of a debate between Beijing and Kathmandu over a “three-metre” height difference they had on the mountain’s height.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Nepalese counterpart Bidya Devi Bhandari announced the new height of the tallest mountain in the world through an exchange of letters. (AP file photo)