All articles tagged with #nepal
Record numbers of climbers on Everest from Nepal’s south have coincided with at least five deaths this season, including two Indian climbers; experts warn overcrowding elevates danger and lawmakers are urged to consider tighter regulation.
A new single-day summit record was set on Mount Everest’s Nepal side, with 274 successful ascents achieved thanks to favorable weather. The season remains crowded and under tighter controls with higher fees, as hundreds more climbers and Sherpa guides are expected to attempt the peak this month. Notable climbers like Kami Rita Sherpa (32nd ascent) and Pasang Dawa Sherpa (30th) added to the week’s records, while the Chinese side route remained closed this year.
Two Indian climbers, Sandeep Are and Arun Kumar Tiwari, died on Mount Everest while descending during a record spring season that drew hundreds via Nepal’s south route; at least five climbers have died this season, including three Nepalis, and a preliminary tally shows about 275 summits, prompting warnings from Kami Rita Sherpa about overcrowding and calls for stricter entry limits.
A record 274 climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest in a single day, marking a peak in crowding as guides and climbers navigated base-camp preparations and ascent during the late April–May 2026 window.
A new high was reached as 274 climbers summited Mount Everest from the south side in a single day, aided by favorable weather and a backlog of climbers after a glacier block delayed the route for weeks. Nepal issued nearly 500 permits this season, while China did not issue north-face permits, intensifying overcrowding concerns that have plagued the peak since the 2019 queues. The route was unblocked on May 13, allowing the surge, and officials credited good conditions and the large waiting pool for the record, though strong winds were forecast later in the week.
A record 274 climbers summited Mount Everest in a single day via Nepal’s southern route, breaking the previous mark and intensifying concerns about bottlenecks and high-altitude danger as weather windows and permit limits concentrate activity; Tibet saw no permits this year, and some climbers’ summit claims are still being verified.
A record 274 climbers summited Everest via the Nepal side in a single day, surpassing the 2019 record as favorable weather boosted climbs and permits rose to about 500 for the season; the surge comes with ongoing safety concerns, including overcrowding and fatalities, amid higher fees and a late-season start.
A record 274 climbers summited Mount Everest from the south side in a single day, beating the 2019 high of 223 as Nepal issued nearly 500 permits this season. After weeks of glacier blockage delayed climbers, icefall workers cleared the route and a favorable weather window helped a long queue reach the summit, highlighting ongoing overcrowding concerns on the world’s highest peak (no permits were issued for the north face this year).
A new daily Everest summit record was set on the Nepalese side, with 274 climbers reaching the 8,849-meter peak in a single day after a late-season start caused by icefall risk. Most climbers were guided by Sherpa teams and used bottled oxygen, though Ecuadorian Marcelo Segovia summited without oxygen. The season has raised crowding concerns in the death zone, and Nepal has issued 494 permits for climbs this year as the Chinese side route remained closed.
American mountaineer Shelley Johannesen died from injuries after an avalanche struck during the descent from Makalu in Nepal, where she and her team had summited on May 9. The avalanche, reportedly triggered by a failed fixed rope below camp three at about 7,200 metres, swept four climbers; Phurba Sonam Sherpa survived, while Johannesen succumbed to her injuries. Her partner David Ashley and another climber were airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment, and Johannesen’s body was recovered by six Sherpa climbers with a helicopter assist. Her death marks Makalu’s second fatality of the season, following Czech climber David Roubinek’s death from altitude sickness.
AP News photos document climbers continuing the ascent on Mount Everest despite increasing challenges, highlighting the perilous conditions and the determination of those attempting to reach the summit atop the world’s highest peak.
Hundreds of Everest hopefuls are waiting at base camp (over 5,300 meters up) as a massive serac blocks the Khumbu Icefall, delaying the standard route to the summit. Icefall doctors are using drones and 3D imagery to map and time the ice’s collapse, while climbers train and brace for potential overcrowding when the route finally opens. The risk is heightened by past deadly serac collapses and a warming climate, prompting Nepal to tighten permits and experience requirements as expeditions plan rotations around a favorable weather window and the final summit push.
Former Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli was arrested on suspicion in connection with the deadly crackdown on September protests, with ex-home minister Ramesh Lekhak also detained; more than 70 people were killed during the uprising sparked by a social-media shutdown and anger over corruption. Oli was taken to hospital for medical tests given his age and kidney transplants. A government commission urged criminal negligence charges against Oli and other officials; Oli’s lawyers say the detention is unwarranted. The arrests come as Nepal’s new prime minister, Balen Shah, was sworn in amid ongoing investigations and protests from Oli’s party.
Nepal’s former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli and the home minister were arrested as investigators probe negligence in the deadly Gen Z anti-corruption protests last September; Oli’s resignation followed the unrest and Balendra Shah has since become prime minister. The detained officials are to be presented in court on Sunday.
Nepal’s former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli was arrested on March 28, 2026, as police investigate alleged negligence in failing to prevent dozens of deaths during the Gen Z anti-corruption protests last September; home minister Ramesh Lekhak was also detained. The moves follow a recommendation by a government panel that Oli and Lekhak should be prosecuted for negligence after up to 76 people were killed in two days of unrest that led to Oli’s resignation, with rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah sworn in as the new prime minister.