A major rescue operation is underway on Mount Everest after a snowstorm trapped nearly 1,000 people at campsites on the mountain.
According to Chinese state media, hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams have been deployed to guide trekkers and clear the snow blocking access routes after a blizzard left climbers stranded on the eastern side of the mountain.
As of Sunday, 350 trekkers had reached the small township of Qudang, while a further 200 had been contacted by authorities, though it is unclear if all trekkers have been accounted for.
The heavy snowfall began on Friday morning and continued through Saturday, blanketing the area at around 4,200 metres of elevation.
“It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk” Geshuang Chen, one of the 350 trekkers who reached Qudang, told Reuters.
“The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such conditions in October — and it all happened so suddenly.”
Chen described surviving a dire night on the mountain amid heavy snowfall, thunder and lightning. Upon arriving in Qudang, trekkers were greeted by villagers offering tea and a warm meal.
The extreme weather struck during peak trekking season and coincided with China’s eight-day national holiday, which saw hundreds travel to the remote Karma Valley, on the eastern Kangshung face of Everest, to make the most of their time off.
Ticket sales to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended on Saturday, according to the official WeChat account of the local Tingri County Tourism Company.
Across the region, the extreme weather has caused widespread devastation.
In Nepal, heavy rains triggered landslides and flooding that have killed at least 47 people since Friday. A further 35 people were killed in separate landslides in the eastern Ilam district bordering India. Nine people remain missing after being swept away by floodwaters, and three others have died in lightning strikes.
Image source: Getty
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