Rescue operations are ongoing on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest after a sudden snowstorm trapped nearly 1,000 people in remote campsites, Chinese state media has reported.
Teams of rescuers and local villagers are working to clear thick snow blocking access routes at altitudes of around 4,900 metres (16,000 feet). Around 350 people have so far been rescued and guided to safety in Qudang town, according to Reuters.
Heavy snowfall began on Friday evening and intensified across the eastern slopes of Everest, a region popular with climbers and trekkers. Survivors described treacherous conditions as tents collapsed under the weight of snow and temperatures plummeted.
“It was so wet and cold, hypothermia was a real risk,” said Chen Geshuang, one of the rescued trekkers.
“The weather this year is not normal. It happened all too suddenly.”
Tibet’s Blue Sky Rescue team reported that several hikers were already suffering from hypothermia when the distress call was received. Authorities have suspended ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area as the rescue continues.
The storm comes amid wider regional chaos, with neighbouring Nepal hit by deadly floods and landslides that have killed at least 47 people, and Typhoon Matmo forcing mass evacuations across southern China.
