A video showing long queues of climbers atop Mount Everest has gone viral on social media, highlighting the ongoing issue of overcrowding on the world's highest peak. The footage, posted on Instagram by Rajan Dwivedi on May 20, captures the climbers stranded in the aftermath of a tragic incident on Tuesday.

Check out the video:

The incident involved British climber Daniel Paterson and his Nepali Sherpa guide, Pastenji, who were struck by falling ice as they descended from the summit. The clip depicts Dwivedi waiting in a single line with dozens of climbers behind him, all attempting to reach the summit. "Mt. Everest is not a joke and in fact, quite a serious climb," Dwivedi noted in his Instagram post.

He further elaborated on his harrowing experience: "Coming down was a nightmare and exhausting while huge line of climbers were coming up to maximise on the weather window!!" Dwivedi successfully summited Everest at 6 am on May 19.

The video is one of many highlighting the constant rush of climbers attempting to conquer Everest, which stands at 8,848 meters. This phenomenon has been dubbed a "traffic jam" by many social media users.

Environmentalists and experienced climbers have long expressed concern over the overcrowding on Everest. Despite numerous accidents and fatalities, the mountain's allure remains undiminished. The latest tragedy involves climbers Daniel Paterson, 39, and his guide Pastenji Sherpa, 23. The pair reached the summit on Tuesday as part of a group but have not been heard from since.

The expedition company reported that the collapse occurred on Hilary Step, a vertical rock face near the summit. The company stated that the men "fell down towards the Tibet side through a very vertical steep."

Mount Everest is notoriously dangerous due to its extreme altitude, where oxygen levels and air pressure are insufficient to sustain human life for extended periods. This risk is compounded by the increasing number of climbers attempting to reach the summit, leading to bottlenecks and heightened danger.

The viral video serves as a stark reminder of the perils associated with climbing Everest and the urgent need for measures to manage the growing crowds on the mountain.