Organizers of the ascent of the Beijing Olympic flame to the world's highest peak confirmed Tuesday morning that one reporter from Hong Kong had retreated from the Mt. Qomolangma media center for serious mountain illness.

Kuang Yiyi, a Hong Kong TVB reporter and an artist as well, had been suffering severe mountain illness since he arrived at the media center in Tingri County of Xigaze Prefecture, southwest of Tibet Autonomous Region's capital Lhasa.

Kuang, also a climber, was badly hit by consistent headache, high temperature and low oxygen level in blood when he reached the 5,040-meter-high base camp with 29 other journalist one day earlier.

Liu Xuan, deputy director of the media center, said that Kuang, together with another official hit by the mountain illness, had been sent by an ambulance to Tingri, 102 kilometers away from the base camp.

"I hope all the reporters and the staff working in the media center should pay attention to their health and don't work too hard," he noted.

The ascent of the Olympic flame to the Mt. Qomolangma will be one of the magnificent moments in the pre-Games torch relay.

The torch, which is separate from the one on the global run, will be carried by the Chinese mountaineers to the world's highest peak in May when weather permits.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2008)