Overcrowding is recurring on Mount Everest, causing climbers to die from lack of oxygen while waiting.
In May 2019, the scene of hundreds of people lining up on a trail in minus 30 degrees Celsius waiting to reach the top of Everest made headlines around the world. That year’s traffic jam left 11 people dead from exhaustion and lack of oxygen.
This scene was repeated again in early June. A short TikTok video showing a long line of climbers inching their way through the treacherous snowy mountain path on the “roof of the world” has been viewed more than 3 million times and is going viral on social media platforms.
Video of traffic jam on Mount Everest went viral on social media in early June. Video: Everest_Official/TikTok
According to the Himalayan database, the number of people who died while climbing Everest this year has surpassed the 11 people in 2019. As of June, there were 12 deaths and 5 people missing on this mountain.
The most recent death, three weeks ago, was Australian amateur climber Jason Kennison, the Australian News reported. The cause of death was determined to be severe altitude sickness. The expedition organizers said Kennison had reached the summit and was beginning to show signs of exhaustion. When the rescue team brought him down to a resting area near the summit, Kennison died.
One of the reasons why many climbers die on the way to conquer the roof of the world is the problem of traffic jams. Waiting in the cold of minus 10 degrees Celsius at an altitude of over 8,000 meters is very dangerous for climbers, especially those who are not experienced enough.
Australian man dies while climbing Mount Everest 3 weeks ago. Photo: News.com.au.
Near the summit, often referred to as the “death zone,” climbers need a lot of oxygen to complete the climb. Therefore, waiting for a long time can easily lead to oxygen depletion in the oxygen tank.
The traffic jams on Everest are caused by two main reasons: the number of climbers and bad weather conditions. The 2019 disaster that killed 11 people also took place when long queues of people were stuck waiting to reach the summit in extreme weather conditions with snow and strong winds. Another reason is that more and more people are registering to conquer Everest but have not yet measured their physical strength and accumulated enough experience to face the risks on the deadly mountain.
Traffic jam on Mount Everest in May 2019. Photo: Project Possible.
Bigyan Koirala, an official from Nepal's Ministry of Tourism, said that in the first five months of the year, 478 people were granted permits to climb Everest, an increase of more than 100 people compared to last year.
Lukas Furtenbach, who runs an Austria-based tour company, said climbers are aware of the dangers of conquering Everest, but it is the deadly challenge that attracts more and more people to set their sights on the top of the world.
Mr. Furtenbach emphasized the importance of providing enough oxygen for climbers throughout the journey. In addition, the organizing units should use oxygen tanks reasonably to prevent the possibility of prolonged traffic jams.
"I believe that with good safety standards, equipment and logistics, Everest organizers could avoid many of these deaths," said Furtenbach.
Bich Phuong
According to Reuters, News.co.au
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