A video published by The New York Times on Thursday shows some of the last moments of a group of climbers on Mount Everest, less than an hour before being hit by a deadly avalanche.
Shot by Ang Kaji Sherpa, the footage shows several climbers ascending the Khumba icefall on steep ladders. Ang Kaji explains to a colleague that the group is experiencing some trouble because the route hadn't been created, according to the Times' translation in the video. About 30 minutes after the interaction, the group was hit by a massive wave of snow and ice.
The accident that unfolded on the world's tallest peak on April 17 was its deadliest disaster, claiming the lives of more than a dozen Nepalese guides.
The Associated Press explains that the avalanche hit the group of climbers as they were making their way up to a higher camp to prepare the route for foreign clients. One of the survivors explained later that the path up the mountain had been unstable.
Ang Kaji Sherpa was one of the victims on April 17, leaving behind a family that depended on his work for survival. "Who will pay our rent? Who will look after our children?" his mother Nimali Sherpa asked.
As the AP noted in the aftermath of the disaster, many of the victims' families were dependent on the Sherpas' income and are worried about the future. At the same time, the disaster once again triggered a debate about the increasing risks for Sherpas as more and more foreign climbers set out for the mountains' peak.