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Mount Everest guide recalls horror: Overcrowding, cornice fall | Watch video
Guide recounts chaos and peril on Everest expedition, two climbers found dead.
A mountain guide recently shared a video capturing a cornice collapse on Mount Everest and described how his teammates narrowly escaped the life-threatening situation after a tense rescue operation. The world's highest peak has seen huge crowds due to smaller windows when the climb is attempted.
Cornices are overhanging edges of snow that present significant risks to climbers and hikers.
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Guide recalls Everest horror
Vinayak Malla, an International Federation of Mountain Guides (IFMGA) guide, shared footage from his expedition, depicting the chaos, tense moments on Everest.
Recounting the harrowing events of May 21, Malla described how the summit ridge felt “than my previous experiences on the mountain. There was soft snow, many cornices and rocky sections covered in snow. The weather station was even half buried in snow.”
After reaching the summit, the climbers encountered slow-moving traffic and witnessed a cornice collapse just metres ahead. Despite the peril, four climbers managed to rescue themselves, while two others were missing and later found dead.
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Two dead near Mount Everest's top
Nepali climber Binod Babu Bastakoti and Kenyan climber Cheruiyot Kirui were confirmed dead near the Mount Everest summit. Bastakoti passed away while descending from Camp IV due to altitude sickness, while Kirui was found by rescuers a few metres below the summit, attempting the climb without supplemental oxygen, the reports said.
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Overcrowding on Mount Everest creating hurdles in climb
Malla said that due to overcrowding, there are challenges in navigating through the congested traffic amid dwindling oxygen supply. He said he and his team took a new route to return to Base Camp safely after the climb.
