Nepal is considering placing age and fitness restrictions on people who want to climb Mount Everest.

Mohan Sapkota, a spokesman for the Himalayan country's ministry of tourism, said the government is considering barring very young and very old climbers, as well as people with disabilities.

The new rules could also require that climbers attempting to scale the mountain have experience on medium-sized peaks.

Mr Sapkota said Everest should be a place of adventure, "not death".

Everest climbing permits earn Nepal millions of dollars a year but the government has come under criticism after a series of disasters in recent years.