List of mountaineering disasters by death toll

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is a list of mountaineering disasters by death toll. This list includes climbing and mountaineering disasters that resulted in multiple deaths (4+).

North Face of Everest as seen from the path to North Base Camp. At least 300 people have died on the mountain.

List

More information Fatalities, Year ...
Fatalities Year Type Location Country Details
199 1902 Storm Hakkōda Mountains Japan Hakkōda Mountains disaster Soldiers ordered to the traverse Hakkōda Mountains as a training exercise. Soldiers were given inadequate equipment and training. 95% of the soldiers perished due to hypothermia.
45 2005 Storm Antuco Volcano Chile Tragedy of Antuco Chilean army major sent group of conscripts to march in blizzard in -35 °C (-30 °F), despite objections from corporals. Only one out of the five companies had mountain survival gear.
43 1990 Earthquake and Avalanche Lenin Peak Soviet Union Lenin Peak disaster 6.4 magnitude earthquake triggered serac fall on Lenin Peak. This resulted in an avalanche crashing into Camp II, where 45 climbers were camping. This is considered to be the worst mountaineering accident in history, where the victims were mountaineers rather than soldiers.
43 2014 Storm Annapurna and Dhaulagiri   Nepal, China 2014 Nepal snowstorm disaster A snowstorm and a series of avalanches killed trekkers and climbers, including those on Annapurna Circuit and at base camps
27 2022 Avalanche Draupadi Ka Danda (DKD2) India 2022 Uttarakhand avalanche Avalanche during guided mountaineering course buried mountaineers in crevasse
24 2015 Earthquake and Avalanche Mount Everest   Nepal, China 2015 Mount Everest avalanches A 7.8 magnitude earthquake caused an avalanche to sweep into Everest Base Camp
24 1972 Avalanche Mount Fuji Japan ja:富士山大量遭難事故 (1972年) On a popular March weekend for climbing, a low pressure system struck, causing rain to seep into climbers' sleeping bags and tents, followed by high winds that caused temperatures of -40 C with windchill. Many died of hypothermia, and six, whose bodies were not found, were believed to have been buried in an avalanche.
19 1968 Avalanche Biały Jar Poland 1968 Biały Jar avalanche Avalanche swept 25 hikers.
17 2017 Avalanche Otgontenger Peak Mongolia While the mountaineers were descending, a large avalanche swept 17 of the 27 members of the party. The cause of death was determined to be trauma sustained in the fall.
17 1991 Avalanche Kawagarbo China Kawagarbo avalanche A nighttime avalanche killed all seventeen members of a joint Japanese and Chinese expedition to climb the previously unclimbed peak.
16 2014 Avalanche Mount Everest   Nepal, China 2014 Mount Everest ice avalanche Seracs on Khumbu Icefall failed, resulting in ice avalanche that killed sixteen climbing sherpas.
16 1937 Avalanche Nanga Parbat Pakistan Nanga Parbat#Climbing history Team was at Camp IV below Rakhiot Peak when it was overrun by an avalanche.
15 1970 Avalanche Huascarán Peru 1970 Huascarán debris avalanche A massive debris avalanche, triggered by an earthquake, killed 30,000 people after it buried a town and ten villages. Among the dead were 15 Czech climbers who were climbing Huascarán at the time of the avalanche.
15 1954 Avalanche Mount Fuji Japan ja:富士山大量遭難事故 (1954年) While holding training on snow, mountaineering clubs from several universities were caught in an avalanche.
15 1972 Avalanche Manaslu   Nepal Manaslu avalanche Avalanche buried the camp of a Korean expedition attempting the north-east face.
13 1954 Storm Dachstein Mountains Austria Dachstein hiking disaster Group of high school students and 3 teachers died in blizzard while hiking the Dachstein Mountains.
13 1996 Avalanche Cotopaxi Ecuador Cotopaxi avalanche An avalanche buried the Refuge, a hut at 4,800m, on a busy day. An earthquake a few days prior may have weakened the glacier above the Refuge, contributing to the accident.
13 1963 Storm Mount Yakushi Japan ja:愛知大学山岳部薬師岳遭難事故 During a winter ascent of the mountain, thirteen members of a university mountaineering club went missing. It is believed the heavy snowfall caused them to get lost, and lack of gear for warmth or navigation caused their deaths.
12 1980 Rockfall Mount Fuji Japan ja:富士山大規模落石事故 12 died and 29 were injured when avalanche-like rockfall, with 50 to 60 boulders 1-2 meters in diameter, rolled down the Yoshida trail, affecting climbers between the eighth and sixth stations. It is the worst rockfall disaster in Japanese history.
12 1983 Avalanche Mount Amida Japan ja:雪崩#雪崩災害の歴史 12 people, including 11 members of a mountaineering club, were caught in an avalanche, and all were killed.
12 2021 Storm Lamkhaga Pass India Lamkhaga Pass Historic storms caused the deaths of at least 12 trekkers.
12 2012 Avalanche Manaslu   Nepal Avalanche swept through camp.[1]
11 2004 Avalanche Khan Tengri Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China Serac fell onto a large group of climbers, killing 11 and injuring 14.[2][3]
11 1998 Avalanche Near Les Orres, Hautes Alpes France A group of 32 children, aged 13 to 15, two teachers, and four mountaineering guides were caught in an avalanche while snowshoeing during a week long class as part of a school trip. The avalanche risk at the time was rated 4 out of 5, and a trail manager commented that the students had been taken on a slope with a steep incline.[4][5][6]
11 2008 Avalanche K2 Pakistan, China 2008 K2 disaster Primarily caused by ice avalanche that occurred at the Bottleneck, destroying climbers' rope lines, leaving them unable to descend.
11 1967 Lightning Mount Nishihotaka, Hida Mountains Japan ja:西穂高岳落雷遭難事故 While on a high school trip led by a teacher, a severe thunderstorm with hail struck the summit. While the party of 46 was descending, they were directly hit by lightning, killing eleven and injuring nine.
11 1913 Hypothermia & Storm Mount Kisokoma Japan ja:木曽駒ヶ岳大量遭難事故 A climb led by a school was interrupted by a typhoon. Several died of hypothermia while sheltering in a hut near the summit, and more died in the descent, trying to get to safety.
11 1968 Storm Iztaccihuatl Mexico 1968 Iztaccihuatl disaster A storm with high winds and snow caught a group of 31 climbers on their way down. 11 of them died from hypothermia or falls.
11 2013 Terrorist attack Nanga Parbat Pakistan 2013 Nanga Parbat massacre 16 terrorists stormed mountaineering base camp and killed 10 climbers and one guide.
11 2022 Avalanche Marmolada Italy 2022 Marmolada serac collapse Triggered by serac collapse; ice and rock fell onto popular hiking trail that passed below the summit.
11 1981 Avalanche Mount Rainier United States Serac fall caused an avalanche/ice fall on the Ingraham Glacier
10 1962 Storm & Hypothermia Asahi-dake Japan During winter mountaineering training, 11 members of a university club were caught in a snowstorm. All but one perished due to hypothermia.[7][8][9]
10 1993 Avalanche Chimborazo Ecuador Chimborazo avalanche An avalanche buried a group of climbers in a crevasse at 18,700ft, below the Veintimilla summit.
10 1934 Storm Nanga Parbat Pakistan 1934 Nanga Parbat climbing disaster Group of climbers trapped by storm at 7,480m (24,50 ft)
9 1959 Disputed Dyatlov Pass Soviet Union Dyatlov Pass Incident A group of 9 hikers perished in the Ural Mountains. Without witnesses, cause of death disputed. Recent investigations in 2019 and 2021 concluded that an avalanche was the most likely cause.
9 1986 Storm Mount Hood United States 1986 Mount Hood disaster Seven students and 2 adults caught in storm during high school trip to climb Mount Hood.
9 2012 Avalanche Mont Maudit France, Italy Maudit avalanche An avalanche caught a large group of climbers, killing nine and injuring an additional nine, during a dawn ascent from Cosmiques Hut.
9 1994 Avalanche Mont Blanc France, Italy Nine climbers killed in ice avalanche on Mont Blanc.[10][11]
9 1959 Avalanche Mount Yari Japan ja:槍ヶ岳#人間史 Members of a university mountaineering club were caught in an avalanche, killing 9.
9 2024 Storm Between Lambtal and Sahastra Tal Peak India 2024 Uttarakhand snowstorm disaster Sudden whiteout stranded mountaineering group on peak without gear for the extreme conditions.
8 2008 Avalanche Mont Blanc du Tacul, Mont Blanc massif France Eight climbers killed due to serac fall before dawn.[12]

[13]

8 1993 Avalanche Grandes Jorasses, Mont Blanc Massif France, Italy 100 meter ice and rock avalanche caught group of eighteen climbers, killing eight.[14][15]
8 2009 Hypothermia & Storm Mount Tomuraushi Japan ja:トムラウシ山遭難事故 8 members of 18 person guided tour group died of hypothermia. After cold and fatigue from crossing snowfields in crampons in heavy winds and rain, a river crossing soaked participants, worsening their hypothermia until many succumbed. Notably, participants did have warm enough gear, but were too hypothermic to put it on
8 1940 Avalanche Mount Petegari Japan ja:ペテガリ岳#主な事故 Nine members of Hokkaido University Mountaineering Club were caught in an avalanche. Only one survived.
8 1989 Storm & Hypothermia Mount Tate Japan ja:立山中高年大量遭難事故| A blizzard struck during a climb of the three peaks of Tateyama, and when the party, already fatigued, continued on from the first hut, eight members died of hypothermia. Many of the parties’ equipment was inadequate for the variable weather of that time of year, with most having light hiking boots, cotton pants, and vinyl rain gear.
8 1981 Fall Mount Gongga China ja:ミニヤコンカ Eight members of Japanese climbing team fell to their deaths.
8 2017 Avalanche Chausuyama Japan ja:那須雪崩事故 7 students and a teacher were killed when an avalanche struck a high school mountaineering club's training class.[16]
8 2019 Avalanche Nanda Devi India Nanda Devi#Recent history and conservation A group of eight climbers were killed in an avalanche while attempting to summit a previously unclimbed subpeak of Nanda Devi.
8 1996 Storm Mount Everest   Nepal, China 1996 Mount Everest disaster 8 climbers caught in blizzard, including both guided teams on South Col and climbers on the North Face.
8 2003 Avalanche Rysy Poland 2003 Tatra Mountains avalanche Members of high school sports club were swept in avalanche when attempting to climb Rysy in winter.
7 2015 Avalanche Dôme de Neige des Écrins France Seven were killed in late summer avalanche in Écrins National Park.[17][18]
7 2010 Avalanche Diemtig Valley  Switzerland A group of ski mountaineers trying to rescue skier swept in avalanche were caught in a second avalanche, killing seven.[19][20]
7 1969 Avalanche Dhaulagiri   Nepal Seven members of an American team were killed in an avalanche while attempting the southeast ridge.
7 1967 Storm Denali United States 1967 Mount McKinley disaster Blizzard killed group of climbers. Later analysis found winds were likely near 480 km/h (300mph), quite possibly the worst conditions experienced by any mountaineers on record.
7 2018 Storm Pigne d'Arolla  Switzerland Drama of the Valais Alps Ski mountaineers descending Pigne d'Arolla in whiteout conditions perished due to hypothermia.
7 1955 Avalanche Mount Temple Canada Seven youths were killed when avalanche swept down route
7 1959 Avalanche Pico de Orizaba Mexico Expedition of 7 climbers went missing. Bodies were found in 2015[21]
7 2013 Avalanche Mount Masago Japan Avalanche on Mount Masago kills seven ski mountaineers.[22][23]
6 2021 Avalanche Chimborazo Ecuador Chimborazo#Mountaineering An avalanche swept 16 climbers, killing six, at 6,100m (20,000ft).
6 1930 Hypothermia Mount Tsurugi Japan ja:剱沢小屋雪崩事故 Six members of a university mountaineering club were killed when an avalanche enveloped the mountain hut they were staying in. They were attempting a winter climb of the mountain.
6 1934 Hypothermia Mount Asama Japan ja:鉄道省山岳部遭難事故 Six members of the Ministry of Railways Mountaineering club were caught in an avalanche while attempting a winter climb of the mountain. It is believed they died during ski descent.
6 1980 Undetermined Mount Karamatsu Japan ja:逗子開成高校八方尾根遭難事故 A high school teacher led five students on a winter climb of the mountain from Happo-one Ridge. The bodies were not located until May the following year. The teacher had almost no winter mountaineering experience, and the group had left their tent and compass behind.
6 2015 Avalanche Queyras mountain range France Six ski mountaineers were killed when an avalanche swept them while trekking at 7,900ft.[24][25]
6 2007 Avalanche Jungfrau  Switzerland A group of 14 soldiers were scaling Jungfrau in a mountaineering training exercise, when they were caught in an avalanche, killing six.[26][27]
6 2016 Avalanche Monte Nevoso Italy Avalanche swept group of ski mountaineers at 3,000m (9,800ft).[28][29]
6 1965 Avalanche Hidaka Mountains Japan ja:札内川十の沢北海道大学山岳部遭難事件 Six Hokkaido University Mountaineering Club members were caught in an avalanche, likely while at camp, during a 14-day trip to climb several mountains in the area. One of the members had survived in a snow cave for four days before perishing.
6 1995 Avalanche Mount Kisokoma Japan ja:雪崩#雪崩災害の歴史 6 climbers were caught and killed in avalanche near Senjojiki Cirque.
6 1970 Avalanche Mount Everest   Nepal, China 1970 Mount Everest disaster Khumbu Icefall collapsed, killing six Sherpa porters.
6 1971 Storm Cairngorm Plateau United Kingdom Cairngorm Plateau disaster Six 15-year-old students and two leaders were stranded in a blizzard, perishing of exposure. Britain's worst mountaineering accident.
6 1974 Avalanche Mount Everest   Nepal, China 1974 French Mount Everest expedition French expedition attempted West Ridge Direct on Everest, but were killed by an avalanche.
6 2012 Hypothermia Hakuba Japan ja:2012年の白馬岳大量遭難事故 Six doctors on a group climb of Mount Hakuba were found dead due to hypothermia. All were experienced and had warm gear in their packs, but were not found wearing it. Most likely, sudden heavy snowfall caused hypothermia, resulting in confusion.
6 1993 Disputed Khamar-Daban mountains Kazakhstan Khamar-Daban incident 6 hikers died under disputed circumstances. According to autopsy, 5 died from hypothermia, and one died of heart attack.
6 1995 Storm K2 Pakistan, China 1995 K2 disaster Six perished while returning from the summit, due to violent storm, with winds possibly up to 160 kph (100 mph).
6 1939 Cornice collapse Mount Baker United States Six climbers fell to deaths when cornice collapsed[30]
6 2014 Fall Mount Rainier United States Two guides and four clients fell to death on Liberty Ridge route. Possibly caused by avalanche.
6 2024 Hypothermia and Storm Tête Blanche France Six ski tourers died of hypothermia while caught in a storm.[31]
6 1953 Fall Mount Taranaki New Zealand Roped group of seven from a tramping club fell off Mount Taranaki's Hongi bluff, with only one survivor. Conditions deteriorated during the descent, resulting in icy conditions, and climbers primarily had ski poles, with only one having an ice axe and crampons.[32]
6 1990 Fall Mount Ruapehu New Zealand Seven soldiers, out of a party of thirteen, perished due to hypothermia when caught in blizzard during week-long mountaineering training.
6 1991 Fall Annapurna   Nepal Two Korean climbers and four guides were killed by an avalanche.[33]
5 1930 Unknown Aoraki / Mount Cook New Zealand One guide and four women killed on Tasman Glacier, cause undetermined.[34]
5 2000 Avalanche Tour Ronde,Mont Blanc massif France, Italy Eighteen caught in an avalanche on the Tour Ronde ascent of Mont Blanc, killing five and injuring thirteen others.[35][36]
5 2025 Avalanche Rimpfischhorn  Switzerland Bodies of climbers found near avalanche cone, after their abandoned skis were found.[37]
5 1916 Hypothermia Okuchichibu Mountains Japan ja:奥秩父集団遭難事故 Group got lost in Okuchichibu mountains, resulting in five people perishing of hypothermia.
5 2011 Avalanche Haute Route  Switzerland Five people were killed when an avalanche hit a party of eleven people, equipped with snow shoes and skis, who were undertaking the Haute Route.[38]
5 1986 Storm K2 Pakistan, China 1986 K2 disasterStorm trapped climbers at Camp IV, with no food and no gas to melt snow into water.
5 1981 Fall Mount Hood United States Mount Hood climbing accidents Five members of Mazamas died from a fall from Cooper Spur during their descentl.
5 1994 Hypothermia & Storm Azuma Mountain Range Japan ja:吾妻連峰雪山遭難事故 Group of seven ski tourers couldn't find their hut for the night, with five eventually succumbing the next day to hypothermia.
5 1972 Avalanche Asahi-dake Japan ja:雪崩#雪崩災害の歴史 Avalanche hit group of university students pitching a tent.
5 1973 Avalanche Yarihara Japan ja:雪崩#雪崩災害の歴史 Avalanche hit university mountaineering club who were pitching a tent.
5 1950 Avalanche Mount Tanigawa Japan ja:谷川岳#登山 11 members of a high school mountaineering club were caught in an avalanche, killing five.
5 2013 Unknown, possibly avalanche Kangchenjunga   Nepal, India Kangchenjunga#Other notable ascents Five climbers disappeared during the descent.
5 2024 Unknown, possibly avalanche Dhaulagiri I   Nepal Dhaulagiri#Climbing history Five Russian climbers went missing, possibly due to an avalanche.
5 1973 Avalanche Annapurna   Nepal Four Japanese climbers and one Nepalese climber were killed in an avalanche.
5 2002 Avalanche Shishapangma China Five members of university club killed on west face by avalanche.[39]
5 2020 Avalanche Dachstein range Austria Five snowshoers were killed by large avalanche.[40]
5 2017 Fall Mount Harvey (Britannia Range) Canada Five hikers died after a snow cornice collapsed, sending them over a cliff.[41]
4 1977 Hut Failure & Storm Aoraki / Mount Cook New Zealand Four climbers were killed when the hut they were staying in, the Three Johns Hut, was pulled off its foundation from wind and thrown into the valley below.[42]
4 1865 Fall Matterhorn  Switzerland, Italy First ascent of the Matterhorn During first ascent of the Matterhorn, one man fell, pulling the other three down the north face.
4 1936 Avalanche Eiger  Switzerland 1936 Eiger climbing disaster Avalanche caught an already injured and exhausted party attempting to descend the north face.
4 2019 Avalanche Aletsch Glacier  Switzerland Four ski tourers killed in an avalanche on the way to Konkordia hut.[43]
4 1998 Avalanche Aonach Mor United Kingdom 4 climbers were killed in avalanche.
4 1993 Avalanche Khan Tengri Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China Four killed when avalanche swept camp.[44]
4 1997 Volcanic gas poisoning Mount Adatara Japan ja:安達太良山火山ガス遭難事故 14 members of a climb lost their way in fog, and accidentally entered a restricted area, resulting in four dying of hydrogen sulfide poisoning from inhaling volcanic gases.
4 2007 Avalanche Mount Kamihorokamettoku Japan ja:雪崩#雪崩災害の歴史 A group of eleven training on snow were caught in an avalanche near the crater, and four were killed.
4 2009 Avalanche Ren Zhong Feng China A collapsing serac caused a massive avalanche, which likely buried a Hungarian team attempting first climb of the mountain.[45]
4 2013 Avalanche Bidean nam Bian United Kingdom 4 were killed in avalanche close to Church Door Buttress on the north side. The worst avalanche in Scottish history.
4 2012 Avalanche Denali United States Four climbers died in an avalanche[46]
4 1954 Fall Mount Victoria Canada Three climbers and guide, roped together, fell to their deaths climbing Victoria Glacier[47]
4 2023 Fall Pico de Orizaba Mexico Four climbers killed in a fall while climbing the southern slope[48]
4 2003 Avalanche Mount Tasman New Zealand An avalanche caught a party of six, killing three guides and one climber.[49]
4 2024 Avalanche Auvergne Region France An avalanche in Val d’Enfer killed four ski mountaineers.[50]
4 2006 Avalanche K2 Pakistan, China Four Russian climbers killed in an avalanche[51]
4 1905 Fall Kangchenjunga   Nepal, India 1905 Kanchenjunga expedition Behavioral issues with the team leader, Aleister Crowley, resulted in team deciding to retreat to Camp III. During this retreat, a fall precipitated an avalanche that killed four.
4 1987 Fall Lhotse   Nepal, China Lhotse Shar#Incidents Four Spanish climbers fell 1,500 meters to their deaths in an avalanche.
4 1959 Fall Cho Oyu   Nepal, China Cho Oyu#View Four killed in an avalanche.
4 1984 Avalanche Nanga Parbat Pakistan Four Japanese climbers went missing while attempting the Rupal face.[52]
4 1998 Avalanche Gasherbrum I Pakistan, China Four Japanese climbers were killed in an avalanche.
4 1987 Avalanche Gasherbrum I Pakistan, China Four Pakistani men killed in an avalanche.
4 1997 Unreleased Königspitze Italy Four men fell to their deaths climbing the mountain.[53]
4 1996 Avalanche Mont Blanc France, Italy Four die in avalanche on Mont Blanc.[54]
4 2021 Avalanche Col du Galibier France Avalanche struck group of hikers, killing four.[55]
4 2021 Avalanche Mount Velino Italy Four missing hikers were likely swept by avalanche.[56]
4 2021 Avalanche Pic du Midi de Bigorre France Group was 300 feet below summit when snow shelf gave way, killing four.[57]
4 1967 Storm & Hypothermia Sandelvbreen Norway Group of seven on ski mountaineering trip got caught in storm.[58]
4 1987 Unknown, possibly Avalanche Shishapangma China Four men from German expedition missing, likely due to avalanche.
9 2026 Avalanche Around Castle Peak and Frog Lake United States 2026 Lake Tahoe avalanche: a group of eleven backcountry skiers and four guides were caught in an avalanche on a backcountry ski trip. Six survivors were able to dig themselves and others out of the avalanche.[59]
Close

Notes

1.^While the Hakkōda Mountains disaster is considered to be the worst accident in mountain climbing history, it is important to note the victims were soldiers, not mountaineers.
2.^Similar to the Hakkōda Mountains disaster, the victims of the Tragedy of Antuco were soldiers, not mountaineers.

See also

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI