The 1996 Mount Everest disaster refers to the events of 10–11 May 1996, when eight people were caught in a blizzard and died on Mount Everest during summit attempts. In the entire season, fifteen people died trying to reach the summit, making it the deadliest year in Mount Everest's history until the 2014 avalanche. The disaster gained wide publicity and raised questions about the commercialization of Everest.