On the 18th, a sudden massive avalanche struck Everest. As of the 20th, the number of avalanche victims had risen to 15. After the avalanche, Sherpa representatives on the 20th proposed that the Nepalese government pay 10 million Nepalese rupees (approximately 640,000 RMB) in compensation to the families of each deceased or injured person, and improve the working conditions of Sherpa guides, among other demands. The organization issued an ultimatum, demanding that the Nepalese government meet these demands within one week, or else the Sherpas would take joint actions such as strikes to boycott the climbing season.
According to Time magazine in the U.S., if a strike occurs, it will cause significant losses to Nepal's tourism industry. Previously, 334 climbers had been approved to climb Everest. If the climbing plans are canceled, the Nepalese government would need to compensate each climber approximately 10,000 U.S. dollars in breach-of-contract fees.