Mount Everest Guides Allegedly Poisoned Climbers

This is an absolutely insane story. Most of the time when I read stories about Mount Everest, it has to do with someone making it to the peak. I have never read or seen anything like this though. Imagine going on your trip of a lifetime, just to get caught up in a sinister insurance scheme.

According to KTLA, dozens of Mount Everest guides intentionally created emergency situations. Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau initially uncovered the more than 20-million-dollar insurance scam in 2018. Guides would allegedly create emergencies in order to cash in. The Bureau says the guides would wait for the tourists to experience altitude sickness, then give them a tablet called acetazolamide. The guides would them have the climbers drink excessive amounts of water. Apparently drinking too much water with the tablet makes symptoms worse.

The scam didn't just stop at the guides however. In some cases, the climbers and local emergency services were involved in the scams on Mount Everest. Most of the victims were from the U.K. or Australia. This made it more difficult to verify the accidents.

Between 2022 and 2025, 4,782 international climbers said to be affected or involved in the schemes, and 32 guides have been charged, the report states.