Khumbu Icefall Avalanche Kills 16 Nepali Mountain Workers
| Event date | 18 April 2014, about 6:45 a.m. |
|---|---|
| Location | Khumbu Icefall, below the West Shoulder of Everest |
| Type | Avalanche; climbing accident |
| Deaths | 16 |
| Injured | 9 |
| Verification | Verified |
| Status | Historical / closed |
Early on 18 April 2014, a mass of ice broke from a hanging serac on Everest’s West Shoulder and swept across the Khumbu Icefall, where dozens of Sherpa and other Nepali workers were carrying loads between Base Camp and the upper camps. Sixteen of them were killed and nine injured. It was, at the time, the deadliest single accident in the mountain’s history.
The workers who died were doing the job that makes commercial expeditions possible: ferrying tents, oxygen and food through the icefall, often many more times per season than the clients they support. The disaster forced an open argument about their pay, insurance and the compensation offered to families. The government’s initial offer was widely criticised, and after days of meetings at Base Camp most expeditions on the Nepal side abandoned the season.
The icefall remains the most dangerous section of the standard South Col route, because climbers have no choice but to pass under the same seracs year after year.
Sources
- Wikipedia — 2014 Mount Everest ice avalanche
- HISTORY — "Avalanche kills 16 Sherpas on Mt. Everest"
- Mark Horrell — eyewitness account from that season
Last reviewed 29 September 2026. Written in Merolog’s own words from the sources listed; where sources disagree, each figure is attributed rather than merged. Spotted an error or a newer figure? Leave a comment on this entry.