Hundreds Rescued After Blizzard Traps Trekkers Near Mount Everest

Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a abrupt blizzard adjacent the eastbound look of Mount Everest successful Tibet person been rescued and guided to safety, according to Chinese authorities media reports connected Sunday.

The rescue followed days of unusually dense snowfall and rainfall that person battered the Himalayan region.

China Central Television (CCTV) reported that arsenic of Sunday, astir 350 trekkers had safely reached the tiny township of Qudang, portion interaction had been established with implicit 200 others inactive descending nether authoritative supervision.

The tourists had been exploring the distant Karma Valley, a scenic way starring to the Kangshung look of Everest, during China’s eight-day National Day holiday, 1 of the country’s busiest question periods.

“It was truthful bedewed and acold successful the mountains, and hypothermia was a existent risk,” said Chen Geshuang, a subordinate of an 18-person trekking radical that made it safely backmost to Qudang. “The upwind this twelvemonth is not normal. Our usher said helium had ne'er seen specified conditions successful October, and it each happened truthful suddenly.”

The blizzard, which brought dense snow, thunder, and lightning, began connected Friday evening and continued done Saturday, blanketing the valley, which sits astatine an altitude of astir 4,200 metres (13,800 feet) successful heavy snow.

Local authorities coordinated large-scale rescue operations, deploying hundreds of villagers to wide blocked upland paths and assistance stranded trekkers. Earlier reports by state-backed Jimu News indicated that arsenic galore arsenic 1,000 radical were initially trapped successful the area.

Chen described a harrowing nighttime spent successful freezing conditions earlier her radical managed to descend. “When we returned to the village, the locals welcomed america with saccharine beverage and lukewarm food,” she recalled. “After the long, acold night, that warmth meant everything.”

CCTV said the remaining trekkers were expected to get astatine information points successful stages nether the guidance of rescuers. However, it remains unclear whether each section guides and enactment unit person been accounted for, oregon if climbers connected the northbound look of Everest, besides successful Tibet, were affected.

In effect to the incident, authorities person suspended summons income and introduction to the full Everest Scenic Area since precocious Saturday, according to a announcement from the Tingri County Tourism Company published connected its authoritative WeChat account.

Meanwhile, to the southbound successful Nepal, dense rains person unleashed landslides and flash floods, sidesplitting astatine slightest 47 peoplesince Friday. Officials said 35 deaths occurred successful Ilam district, adjacent the Indian border, portion 9 radical stay missing aft being swept distant by floods. Three others were killed by lightning strikes successful abstracted incidents crossed the country.