Twenty mountaineers have been reported dead in the spring climbing season, according the Nepal-based Himalayan Times on Saturday, citing expedition officials.
Seven occurred near the summit of the world's highest peak, Qomolangma, known in the West as Mount Everest.
On May 22, more than 200 climbers were heading up the northern and southern routes at the foot of the Himalayas on the China-Nepal border.
The long line increased risk as climbers had to wait their turn at 8,000 meters, the altitude dubbed the "death zone."
Nepalese expedition officials confirmed that seven climbers died within one week: four from India, one from Austria, one from the US and one from Ireland.
Many climbers have Qomolangma on their bucket list.
This week as the weather improved, hundreds of mountaineers were trying their luck. As a result, climbers became stuck in the dead zone.
The northern route is located in China. Costs can amount to 458,848 yuan ($66,498) a climber, according to mt8848.com, website of a local travel agency. The package includes food, accommodation, registration fee and road construction. Equipment and clothing costs are not covered, according to the website.
The Nepalese government issued 373 mountaineering licenses in 2017, according to data released by the Nepalese tourism department.
The Tibet Sports Bureau circulated a notice on December 5, strictly controlling the number of climbers.
The regulation said that starting 2018 the number of professional climbers and qualified adventurers entering the Himalaya Mountains should be strictly controlled at 300 during spring. No entry is allowed during other seasons.
Individual climbers are banned from the southern route, according to the Nepalese government.
