AVALANCHE STRIKES WORLD’S HIGHEST PEAK
Twelve high altitude porters were killed by an avalanche on the South side of Mount Everest – the world’s tallest mountain.
“Around 25 persons were swept away by the avalanche”, said Mohan Krishna Sapkota, a spokesman for the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism. “We have rescued eight alive, and 12 bodies have been recovered so far.”
All twelve of the currently identified victims are Sherpas – native guides who carry loads, establish camps and fix ropes on the mountain for other climbers.
“The Sherpa guides were carrying up equipment and other necessities for climbers when the disaster happened,” Sapkota added.
The avalanche occurred at approximately 5,900 meters in a dangerous passage known as the “popcorn field” below the Khumbu Icefall – more than two-thirds of the way up the 8,848 meter (29,029 foot) peak. It is officially the deadliest disaster in the mountain’s history, surpassing a 1996 snowstorm that killed eight climbers. Ironically, a feature film based on the 1996 tragedy is slated to be released next year.
First scaled in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, more than 4,000 people have reached Everest’s summit over the last six decades. More than 300 climbers from at least two dozen expeditions are attempting to climb Everest this spring.
By comparison, only around 300 have reached the elusive summit of K2 – the world’s second highest mountain. On August 1, 2008 more than two dozen climbers made their way through the “death zone” on K2 to the top of the 8,611-meter peak. Eleven of them never returned.
Here’s a video of the area where the avalanche struck …
13 comments
The egos of the few are responsible for the deaths of so many on Everest every year. One day the true costs of summiting this mountain will be assessed to those who seek to conquer it.
Or one day China will invade Nepal and not let anyone without slanty eyes near the damn thing.
Maybe the Taliban will take over and knock it down.
Pretty sure they know the risks involved.
You mean, a law shouldn’t be passe for their own good preventing them from doing it or anything?
You knuckle dragging beast.
They’re just Sherpas, there are endless hoards of them.
Endless hoardes of American, European and Japanese tourist who pat each other on the back for accomplishing an achievement in which the most challenging parts were done by Sherpas.
That’s true too.
Everest is a pussy challenge…
A real challenge is for a truthful man to be elected to Congress.
…or for a Republican to care about America.
A requirement for office should be to always answer a fair question with a yes or a no before going off into his talking points.
Shoot Fits, I thought you were gonna tell us that Sanford was blowing-off steam again; this time on Mt. Everest with Chapur in tow.
RIP victims of this tragedy notwithstanding. The Sherpa guides do it for money and survival, not to appease a restless ego.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Koch brothers don’t just wait for good weather, parachute onto the summit from a helicopter, piss all over the top of it, and then be picked up in a litter afterwards.