The spring 2023 season on Everest ended at the close of May as the deadliest on record. Nepal issued a record 478 climbing permits to foreigners, beating 408 in 2021, and 17 people died or went missing on the mountain: 13 confirmed dead and 4 never found.
In short: The toll included three Sherpa climbers killed when ice collapsed in the Khumbu Icefall on 12 April. Officials blamed colder, windier weather; critics pointed to inexperienced clients and cheap operators.
What changed afterwards
Nepal raised the Everest royalty to US$15,000 from September 2025, introduced waste rules, and proposed that Everest climbers first climb a 7,000 m peak in Nepal.