The 1996 Mount Everest disaster refers to the events of 10–11 May 1996, when eight people caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest during attempts to ascend or, having achieved their goal, descend from the summit. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach the summit, making for the deadliest day and year on Mount Everest prior to the 16 fatalities of the 2014 Mount Everest avalanche and the 18 deaths resulting from avalanches caused by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. The 1996 disaster gained wide publicity and raised questions about the commercialization of Everest.