Rescue efforts are ongoing on Mount Everest after a severe snowstorm trapped nearly 1,000 people in campsites on the eastern side of the mountain in Tibet, Chinese state media has reported.
Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a blizzard near the remote Karma valley, which leads to the Kangshung face, were guided to safety on Sunday. As of that day, 350 people had reached the small township of Qudang, while contact had been made with the remaining 200-plus trekkers, according to China Central Television (CCTV).
The visitors had been taking advantage of China’s eight-day National Day holiday. Snowfall in the valley, which lies at an average elevation of 4,200 metres, began on Friday evening and continued through Saturday. “It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk,” said Chen Geshuang, a trekker who made it to Qudang. “The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such weather in October.”
The remaining trekkers were expected to arrive in Qudang in stages under guidance from local government-organised rescuers. Hundreds of villagers and rescue teams had been deployed to clear snow blocking access. The north face of Everest, which is more accessible by paved road, also draws large crowds but it was unclear if trekkers there were affected. Ticket sales for the Everest scenic area were suspended from Saturday.
In Nepal, south of Tibet, heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have killed at least 47 people since Friday, with 35 deaths in the eastern Ilam district alone.
