By Nicole Einbinder, INSIDER
Mount Everest is facing its deadliest climbing season in recent years, with at least 11 people reported dead so far in 2019.
Christopher John Kulish, a 62-year-old American citizen, was the latest casualty on Monday. He died after reaching the top of Everest on the Nepalese side of the mountain, a Nepalese official told Reuters.
While Everest has always been considered dangerous, this year has proven to be particularly devastating - with the recent slate of deaths attributed largely to overcrowding. The crowds have trapped climbers for hours in the mountain's deadly "death zone," where oxygen is limited and the body's cells begin to die. If climbers face too much time in that zone, they risk their lungs or brain filling with liquid.
British climber Robin Fisher died on Saturday while climbing Everest. In an Instagram post published just days before his death, Fisher wrote "around 700 more people will be looking to summit from Tuesday the 21st onwards... with a single route to the summit delays caused by overcrowding could prove fatal so I am hopeful my decision to go for the 25th will mean fewer people. Unless of course everyone else plays the same waiting game."
In total, when adding the 11 people who've reportedly died in 2019 there have been 306 recorded fatalities on the mountain.
People travel from all over the world to climb Mount Everest, with the mountain's recent victims hailing from all over the world, including India, Ireland, Austria, and the UK. Business Insider
The Nepalese government issued a record number of climbing permits this year, despite many climbers lacking the skills to properly scale Mount Everest. The New York Times
Climbers have been forced to wait for hours on end in dangerous conditions due to overcrowding at the summit.
Some are so eager to reach the peak that they ignore warnings to stay back. INSIDER
Climbers also only had a few days of good weather to climb Mount Everest this month, after Cyclone Fani brought strong winds and poor conditions. INSIDER
When people die on Mount Everest, the bodies are often left lying on the mountain. INSIDER
Decades of commercial mountaineering has turned Mount Everest into the world's highest trash dump, as an increasing number of big-spending climbers pay little attention to the environmental footprint they leave behind.
On Monday, Nepali Army personnel collected heaps of waste from Mount Everest.
Indian climber Ameesha Chauhan received treatment at a hospital on Tuesday after surviving the dangerous overcrowding.
But, others weren't so lucky.
Despite the risks, Mount Everest remains a popular destination for people eager to climb the mountain.
