On May 10-11, 1996, freak weather conditions and a bottleneck of climbers led to what has been called the 1996 Everest disaster, when eight people died on Mt. Everest while attempting to reach the summit. The principle parties involved in the disaster were two different climbing expeditions. Continued delays meant that many climbers were not beginning their descent until well after 2:00 PM, considered the time that climbers must begin heading back to camp to reach safety before nightfall. A blizzard ravaged the mountain, reducing visibility and obscuring trails. Furthermore, an analysis of weather conditions on the day of the tragedy found that oxygen levels — already very low at such extreme altitudes — dropped an additional 14% during the storm.
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