Money first, rescue later: China student dies from altitude sickness on Mount Everest climb due to insurance confusion
- Insurance advert on app fails to mention that policy does not cover country of Nepal
- Student dies as company insists on US dollars up front before sending rescue helicopter
The death of a university student who was climbing Mount Everest – due to confusing advertising about an insurance policy – has sparked a heated debate on mainland social media.
The 26-year-old from China’s top Fudan University, who uses the pseudonym Lu Wen, died in a hotel near the South Side Base Camp of Everest in Nepal on February 14.
He started his journey along the Everest Base Camp trek on February 6 and was found collapsed from altitude sickness hundreds of metres away from the hotel on his way back on February 11.
He was carried to the hotel and recovered a little, but his condition deteriorated the next day.
Another hiker, surnamed Huang, helped him call the US insurance company AIG’s Chinese branch and was shocked to learn that the cover Lu Wen bought before his trip, Asia Journeysafe Travel Protection, does not include Nepal.