A 31-year-old hiker lost his life after a fatal fall on Mount Nama in China's Sichuan province, reportedly after untying his safety rope to take photos near the summit. The man, identified by his surname Hong, was part of a hiking group scaling the 5,588-metre mountain on September 25, Channel News Asia reported. Witnesses said Hong had detached his safety line and was not using an ice axe when he slipped on the snow-covered slope while posing near a crevasse.
Incident caught on camera
The video, going viral on social media, shows Hong standing on a snow-covered slope near the summit without his safety rope. As he tried to regain his balance, he appeared to stumble and then slid down the mountainside, vanishing over the edge after falling nearly 656 feet (200 metres). Fellow climbers could be seen reacting in shock. His body was later recovered and brought to Gongga Mountain Town.
According to local media, Hong's cousin said this was his first attempt at climbing the mountain. He had reportedly unfastened his safety rope to help others take photos but slipped moments later, possibly tripping over his own crampons, the metal spikes worn on boots for walking on ice.
What did officials say?
Local officials said Hong's group had not obtained the required climbing permits or informed authorities of their expedition plans. The Kangding Municipal Education and Sports Bureau said the group also breached basic safety rules. "If the crampons had not been removed and the rope had not been undone, this might not have happened," one official told The Sun.
The Sichuan Mountaineering Association clarified that, contrary to claims circulating online, Hong was not a professional mountain guide. He held only a climbing assistant's certificate and occasionally led hikes.
Mount Nama, also called Nama Peak, is a high mountain in the eastern Tibetan Plateau in Sichuan Province. It is part of the Gongga Mountain Range.
