KathmanduOfficials from Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation confirmed on May 22 that at least four foreign climbers had died in recent days while returning from climbing Mount Everest from the Nepali side, including one Chineseclimber.
Lila Mani Poudyal, liaison officer for the Ministry stationed at Everest Base Camp, told local media that one of the deceased was a German climber who died at 7,906 meters on the South Slope of Everest on May 9; the other three — a Canadian climber, a Chinese climber, and a Korean climber — died on and between the summit and the South Slope on May 19 and 20.Everest summitand the area between the summit and the South Slope.
Poudyal said they most likely died from altitude sickness andexhaustion
According to Poudyal, on May 18 and 19, Everest saw a rare stretch of good weather this spring, with more than 100 people reaching the summit on May 19 alone. But the weather suddenly turned bad in the afternoon of May 19, and many climbers were still on the summit and had to queue up to descend. After 11 a.m., the weather on the South Slope of EverestSouth Slopedeteriorated sharply, turning the area into a “death zone.” At that time, if climbers remained too long, the harsh weather and physical exhaustion could easily be fatal. Poudyal said the amount of oxygen carried by climbers is very limited, and spending too much time at high altitudes can deplete their oxygen supply, also threatening their lives.