14 June 2019, Kathmandu
According to the data of Department of Tourism (DoT), a total of 659 people including Sherpa guides successfully climbed Mount Everest, out of that 378 were guides.
The permission was given in accordance with the Tourism Act- 2035 BS and the Mountaineering Expeditions Rule- 2059 BS.
The data shows that 44 teams comprising 1,023 members took the expedition permit for Everest this time. Eight people had died and one has been missing in course of Everest climbing this spring, the Department said quoting several agencies.
The Department said the deaths were due to high-altitude sickness, adverse weather, a sudden loss of consciousness and physical weakness not due to the media report that a traffic jam and high number of route permits caused the fatalities in Everest this time.
Only 35 more (a total of 381 climbers besides their guides) people were given the permission for Everest expedition this time and this number was 366 in 2017 and 346 in 2018.
To study the issues minutely, a five-member team was formed on June 7 under the convenorship of chief of Human Resource Management and Tourism Promotion Division, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to study about the missing and death cases related to Everest expedition and give recommendations to the government for policy-level, legal, structure and other reforms in the mountaineering sector.
