More than 310 people had already lost their lives on Everest by July 2022. And now, the numbers are increasing, with the timeline stretching to mid-2023. Twelve new death records have been registered in Everest this year, notifying the climbers about the alarming weather conditions and treacherous paths to the summit. Xuebin Chen, a Chinese mountaineer, died on the verge of changing his oxygen cylinders on May 18, one day after the Moldovan climber Victor Brinza lost his life at South Col. Here are the details about what happened to him.
Chinese Mountaineer Xuebin Chen Dead At South Summit Area | What Happened To Him?
Xuebin Chen, an elderly Chinese Expeditioner, set off for the Everest Expedition in May 2023. However, the results were not as expected, as he never returned alive from the top of the world. Chen was a part of 8K International Everest Expedition Team ‘B’, who led his climb with the team on May 18. Starting the journey from Everest Base Camp, Chen and his team had already tackled several major regions of Everest, including Camp I, II, and III.
After an exhausting climb of over 8000 meters, Chen tragically took his last breath at the South Summit area at 8,000 meters, marking the seventh death in Everest this year. Lakpa Sherpa confirmed his death from the Everest Base Camp as he spoke about the details of Chen’s expedition. He mentioned that Chen was changing his oxygen cylinders in the ‘Death Zone.’ Initial reports claim that he changed his eyeglasses and threw the oxygen canister to replace it with the new one. However, the mountaineer fell and lost his life tragically. It was said that the Chinese climber fell unconscious while changing the supplement. The investigation of the incident was to be taken once the team returned to the Base Camp, officials said.
Xuebin Chen climbed Everest with the surveillance of 8K International Everest Expedition Team ‘B.’ It was led by a professional Russian climber Victor Voldin. The team consisted of 13 mountaineers from different regions and backgrounds, including 5 from Russia, 3 from India, 3 from Mongolia, and 2 from China. Among them, Chen was unlucky to meet a tragic mishap while changing his supplements. Lakpa Sherpa from Everest Base Camp mentioned they are already in contact with Chen’s family in China through the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. And his family has discussed the next step to retain his dead body at base camp and then move to his home country.
“We are talking to the family and the Chinese embassy. We will dispatch the body as soon as possible in cooperation with the family and the embassy,”
– Lakpa Sherpa
Six people died in the early spring of this year due to extreme weather and health conditions. Da Chhiri Sherpa, Lhakpa Tendi Sherpa, and Pemba Tenzing Sherpa opened the death record as the huge ice sheet fell and buried them in the crevasses on April 12. Similarly, Jonathan Sugarman, a retired doctor from the United States of America, died of an altitude-related illness on May 1. The next deaths of Everest record followed immediately with the cost of Nepal Army’s Everest Clean Up Campaign’s crew, Phurba Sherpa, on May 16. Similarly, the demise of Moldovan climber Victor Brinza on May 17 stirred the mountaineering industry. The Mount Everest death of Xuebin Chen is the three-streak demise in May. May 16 and 17 registered the death of Phurba and Victor already.
With the consistent Mount Everest deaths’ records this year, it has been an alarming moment for the mountaineers to begin the Everest expedition. Not only is it alarming, but it has also raised questions about proper preparation, acclimatization, and safety measures carried out by both climbers and the agency. Since Mount Everest is one of the most challenging peaks to climb globally, physical, mental, gears, and safety preparations are crucial. Because factors like altitude sickness, low oxygen, speed winds, and treacherous & sloppy landscapes are life-threatening.
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