The snowstorm, which began Friday evening, intensified over the weekend, cutting off access routes at altitudes above 4,900 metres. Hundreds of villagers and rescue teams were deployed to clear the heavy snow and assist stranded visitors. The unusually heavy snowfall marked one of the region’s fiercest October storms in recent years. State broadcaster CCTV did not specify whether local guides and support staff accompanying the trekking plus500 canada groups had been accounted for.

Hundreds rescued after snowstorm traps nearly 1,000 trekkers on Mount Everest

Notably, it is a relatively pristine part of the Everest region with most climbers opting for the north face. “It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk,” said Chen Geshuang, who was part of an 18-strong trekking team that made it to Qudang. While rescuers continue their efforts to bring down climbers from Mount Everest,Nepal is also struggling with landslides and floods, which have already claimed the lives of 64 people.

Rescue workers carry stranded hikers on their backspublished at 08:31 BST08:31 BST

In China, about 150,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes due to destruction caused by Typhoon Matmo. “It was raining and snowing every day, and we did not see Everest at all,” said Mr Wen. On the other side of China, Typhoon Matmo has made landfall on the country’s eastern coast, forcing about 150,000 people to evacuate from their homes. Many hikers have made their way to the Karma Valley hiking trail, a lesser-known but scenic route to the base of Everest – which also offers a view of the world’s highest peak. They hardly slept because it was snowing too hard and his group had to clear the snow every 10 minutes.

October is a peak season, when skies usually clear at the end of the Indian monsoon. Visitors to the remote valley of Karma, which leads to the eastern Kangshung face of Everest, were in the hundreds this week, taking advantage of an eight-day National Day holiday in China. The snowstorm left almost 1,000 trekkers trapped on the mountain, according to Chinese state media. Nine people were reported missing after being swept away by floodwaters, and three others were killed in lightning strikes elsewhere in the country.

Ms Chen’s party descended from the mountains on Sunday and was greeted by villagers after enduring a harrowing evening of heavy snowfall combined with thunder and lightning. Villagers and rescue teams have been deployed to help clear the snow blocking access to the area, which sits at an altitude of more than 4,900m (16,000ft). They relocated the rescued hikers to the small township of Qudang, reports said. The CCTV report did not say if all local guides and support staff of the trekking parties had been accounted for.

• According to China’s CCTV, some 350 trekkers were safely guided to the township of Qudang by Sunday, while contact had been established with over 200 others.
• October is a peak season, when skies usually clear at the end of the Indian monsoon.
• As of Sunday, 350 trekkers had reached the small township of Qudang, while contact with the an additional 200-plus trekkers had been made, CCTV reported.
• Nine people were reported missing after being swept away by floodwaters, and three others were killed in lightning strikes elsewhere in the country.
• They relocated the rescued hikers to the small township of Qudang, reports said.

Tibet’s Blue Sky Rescue team had received a call for help saying that tents had collapsed due to heavy snow, and that some hikers were suffering from hypothermia. However, heavy snowfall began on Friday evening and continued throughout Saturday. China is in the middle of its week-long National Day holiday known as Golden Week, a peak season for local tourism. At least one hiker has died and more than 200 are still stranded on Everest’s eastern slopes in Tibet, an area popular with climbers and hikers, Chinese state media reported. Hikers caught in a shock blizzard near Mount Everest have spoken of experiencing hypothermia as they battled relentless snowfall, while rescuers continue to evacuate scores of people. Ticket sales and entry to the entire Everest Scenic Area were suspended from late Saturday, according to notices on the official WeChat accounts of the local Tingri County Tourism Company.

Nearly 1,000 Trekkers Trapped After Snowstorm Hits Mount Everest, Rescue Ops Underway

• Chen Geshuang, who was part of Mr Dong’s hiking group, said the snow was about a metre deep when the group started their retreat on Sunday.
• The CCTV report did not say if all local guides and support staff of the trekking parties had been accounted for.
• Acute mountain sickness, with symptoms of dizziness, vomiting and headaches, has also caused deaths.
• Hikers caught in a shock blizzard near Mount Everest have spoken of experiencing hypothermia as they battled relentless snowfall, while rescuers continue to evacuate scores of people.
• The Tibetan regional government is said to have organised coordinated search and rescue operations, sending heavy machinery to reopen snow-blocked roads leading to the affected campsites.

She added that her husband told her that the snow kept piling up and he even barely slept at night as he was “afraid of being buried if he fell into a deep sleep”. Another hiker, Eric Wen, told Reuters that three people in his group suffered from hypothermia even though they were adequately dressed. Her husband had told her that he barely slept in his tent because he was afraid of being buried in the snow, the woman said. “Even for rescuers, it’s not easy, they need to clear snow to make a path,” said the woman, who declined to be named. “But this blizzard was still extremely difficult to deal with. I was so lucky to get out.” “Our windbreakers and raincoats were no match for the snow. We were all drenched,” he said, adding that several people in his group of 20 showed signs of hypothermia.

Villagers greet trekkers with meal

The storm prompted the suspension of ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area over the weekend. As weather conditions worsened, communication with many trekkers was temporarily disrupted. According to China’s CCTV, some 350 trekkers were safely guided to the township of Qudang by Sunday, while contact had been established with over 200 others. However, it remains unclear whether local guides and support staff accompanying the trekking groups have all been accounted for.

It was also unclear if trekkers near the north face of Mount Everest, also in Tibet, had been affected or not. Hundreds of villagers and emergency teams have been dispatched to clear thick layers of snow and reopen routes leading to the affected areas, Chinese outlet Jimu News reported. Authorities have confirmed that dozens of stranded tourists have already been escorted down the mountain to safety. On Friday (October 3) evening, snowfall began in the valley of Karma, which leads to the eastern face of Everest.

Hundreds still stranded near Everest as rescuers battle heavy snow after shock blizzard

Thirty-five people died in separate landslides in the eastern Ilam district bordering India. Nine people were reported missing after being swept away by floodwaters and three others were killed in lightning strikes elsewhere in the country. It is not known if local guides and support staff had been accounted for and it was also unclear if trekkers near the north face of Everest, also in Tibet, had been affected or not.

Nearly 1,000 trekkers were stranded on the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet on Sunday after a powerful blizzard swept through the region, blocking key access routes. According to Chinese state media, the heavy snowfall, which is unusual for this time of year, has left several campsites isolated at altitudes exceeding 4,900 metres (16,000 feet). October usually marks a peak season on Everest, when post-monsoon skies typically clear. This year’s unusually heavy snowfall and rainfall disrupted the holiday season, coinciding with China’s eight-day National Day break. Authorities suspended ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area from late Saturday.

Another woman told the BBC that her husband who had been stuck in the snowstorm was slowly descending from the mountains, but thick snow cover has made his retreat extremely difficult. The disaster underscores the volatile weather conditions across the Himalayas, which continue to endanger residents, climbers, and tourists alike. Snowfall in the valley, which lies at an elevation averaging 4,200 metres, began on Friday evening and persisted throughout Saturday. In one video, taken on Sunday, a line of hikers can be seen wading through snow in poor visibility. As of Sunday, 350 trekkers had reached the small township of Qudang, while contact with the an additional 200-plus trekkers had been made, CCTV reported. Now, rescue workers are racing against the clock to reach the hikers, who are stuck at tourist campsites on the slopes of Mount Everest.

Mount Everest, known as Mount Qomolangma in China, stands at 8,849 metres and is the world’s tallest peak. To access this content, you must have prior permission and a valid contract. The north face of Mount Everest, due to its easy access by paved road, regularly draws large numbers of tourists. According to Chinese state media outlet Jimu News roughly 1,000 mountain climbers were pinned down at sites just below base camp on the north face of Mount Everest.

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The Tibetan regional government is said to have organised coordinated search and rescue operations, sending heavy machinery to reopen snow-blocked roads leading to the affected campsites. And since Saturday, rescue efforts were underway to get the hikers and their guides to safety. The north face of Everest, due to its easy access by paved road, regularly draws large numbers of tourists.