Snowstorm traps 1,000 people on Mount Everest; rescue underway
What's the story
A severe snowstorm has trapped nearly 1,000 people on Mount Everest's eastern slopes in Tibet. Snow began falling in the valley on Friday evening and continued throughout Saturday. Chen Geshuang, a member of a trekking group that reached safety in Qudang town, said "hypothermia was a real risk" due to the wet and cold conditions. "The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such weather in October."
Rescue efforts
Rescuers, local villagers working to clear snow
The Tibet Blue Sky Rescue team received a distress call about collapsed tents and hypothermia cases among hikers. Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams are working to clear snow and provide access to the area at over 4,900 meters (16,000 feet) altitude. By Sunday evening, 350 people had reached safety in Qudang town with the help of rescuers.
Restricted access
Ticket sales to Everest scenic area suspended
The Tingri County Tourism Company has since suspended ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area from Saturday in light of the extreme weather conditions affecting Tibet. The region is currently experiencing extreme weather, as neighboring Nepal has been hit by heavy rains, resulting in landslides and flash floods that have washed away bridges and killed at least 47 people in the last two days.
Typhoon impact
Unclear if if local guides and support staff accounted for
Hundreds of people visited the remote valley of Karma, which leads to Everest's eastern Kangshung face, this week, amid the eight-day National Day holiday in China. State-backed Jimu News estimated that almost 1,000 individuals were trapped. Chinese news agency CCTV did not specify if local guides and support staff from the trekking parties had been accounted for. It was also unclear if trekkers near Everest's north face, also in Tibet, were affected.