Helicopter crashed during rescue as rare heavy snowfall shuts down Everest tourism in Nepal, Tibet

A powerful weather system, causing unseasonably dangerous and impassable conditions, has closed the Nepali and Chinese sides of the Everest region to tourism after a helicopter crashed in deep snow while attempting a rescue.

The Everest region, visited by thousands of climbers, has been blanketed by snow since Monday. 

A cyclone from the Bay of Bengal has caused a second round of severe, unseasonal snowfall in the Himalayas this month.

Concerning the situation, the authorities in Nepal have ceased trekking on several hiking routes due to rain at lower elevations and heavy snowfalls on higher trails and have urged hikers to remain in lodges or to descend from the Manaslu, Annapurna, and Dhaulagiri areas which are home to some of the world’s highest peaks.

Meanwhile, a small helicopter flying to Lobuche near the Everest Base Camp to rescue stranded trekkers crashed while attempting to land.

The CAAN video demonstrated that the helicopter tipped off on the snow while landing and the pilot survived and was later rescued.

Conversely, the Tibetan side of Everest faced significant disruptions resulting in low visibility and creating impenetrable conditions for traffic.

The weather forecast temperatures are expected to decrease further this entire week, and safety measures are needed for operations that span several days under frigid conditions.