Peace Steemians,
Sherpas are an important part of climbing in the Himalayas. People who climb Mount Everest depend on the help of Sherpas. Climbing a high mountain requires a lot of equipment.
Climbers need food. They also need shelter from the extreme cold. Everything must be carried up the mountain.
The Sherpas do this difficult work. And they also help other people climb the mountain. Sherpas are expert climbers, guides, guards and coaches. Also, they are brave enough to do dangerous work.
Early in the morning on April 18 hundreds of Sherpas were climbing up Mount Everest. They walked through snow and ice. They carried heavy packs on their backs.
Everything was quiet. Suddenly, a huge block of ice fell off the side of the mountain. This piece of ice weighed over 60,000 tonnes.
As it fell down the mountain, the ice broke into pieces. Huge, sharp pieces of ice and snow raced down the mountain, creating an avalanche.
This avalanche was full of dangerous pieces of ice. The avalanche hit or buried everything that it passed. The Sherpas on the mountain heard the snow and ice above them. Some found shelter. Then, the avalanche crashed right over them.
The ice avalanche on Everest killed 16 people that day. It injured many more. Some people were injured by falling ice. Others were buried in the snow and ice.
In some cases, people were completely lost. These deaths and injuries had a wide effect. The men who died had families, including wives and young children.
The avalanche caused great suffering for the Sherpa people. They named 2014 a “black year.”
This is not the first time people have died on Mount Everest. It is a very dangerous place. But this accident was different because of the large effect it had on the Sherpas.
Many Sherpas do not like doing such a dangerous job. But they live far from the city. Climbing is one of the only ways that Sherpas have to make money.
Mostly, they support their families and pay for education. If they can, Sherpas send their children to boarding schools - away from their hometowns.
It is important to Sherpa parents that their children get an education. Then they will not have to do such dangerous work when they are adults.
20 years ago, less than 50% of the workers on Everest had finished high school. Now 80% of Everest workers have graduated from high school.
They know how things work. They are more aware of their rights. They know they can speak their mind.
The Nepali government agreed to give the Sherpas and their families insurance with more protection after an accident.
People around the world also responded to the terrible accident. They raised almost a million dollars. They gave it to the families of the Sherpas who had died.
This money does not replace a lost father, son or husband. But it creates some hope for the future, after a year of sadness on the world's highest mountain.
What kinds of protection should exist for people who work in very risky jobs? Who should provide that protection?
Share your thoughts in comment section.
Thank you for reading.