A large-scale rescue operation is underway on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest after a sudden and powerful blizzard trapped hundreds of trekkers in the high-altitude region.
The unexpected early-season storm, which brought heavy snow, thunder, has disrupted the peak trekking season.
Nearly 1,000 people were initially reported to be stranded, mostly holiday hikers visiting the remote Karma Valley on the eastern face of Everest during China’s eight-day National Day holiday.
The hikers were trapped at altitudes of over 4,900 meters (about 16,000 feet), where they faced freezing cold and the serious risk of hypothermia.
Approximately 350 trekkers had successfully been led to the small town of Qudang on Sunday, October 5th. Contact was also established with over 200 other stranded trekkers, who are expected to arrive in Qudang in stages.
The weather was described as highly unusual for October, which is typically a clear-sky, peak season for trekking after the summer monsoon. Chen Geshuang, one of the rescued trekkers, described the terrifying conditions and the immediate danger to her group:
“It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk.”
“The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly.”
Eric Wen, another survivor, spoke of the continuous battle to keep their tents standing:
“We only had a few tents. More than 10 of us were in the large tent and hardly slept. It was snowing too hard. We had to clear the snow every 10 minutes. Otherwise our tents would have collapsed.”
Local authorities have since taken action to prevent further incidents. The local tourism company has suspended all ticket sales and entry to the entire Everest Scenic Area as a safety measure.
The rescue mission remains ongoing as teams work to bring the remaining trekkers down from the mountain.