Everest hikers guided to safety after being stranded by blizzard
A total of 580 hikers trapped by severe weather near Mount Everest were guided to safety in Tibet, according to Chinese state media.
Trekkers, along with 300 local guides, Yak handlers and other support staff, arrived in the small township of Qdang and surrounding areas, CCTV said on Tuesday.
A final group of about 10 hikers accompanied by rescue workers has not yet reached Qudang, but has reached a rendezvous point with heating equipment, oxygen and other emergency supplies.
Tourists were left stranded at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000ft) after heavy snowfall lifted Everest’s eastern slopes over the weekend.
The blizzard hit during China’s eight-day golden week holiday, the peak season for local tourism.
October usually provides clear skies and friendly temperatures, making it one of the preferred months for trekking in the Mount Everest region.
Hundreds of hikers have made their way to the Karma Valley hiking trail, a lesser-known but scenic route to the base of Everest – offering views of the world’s highest peak.
Heavy snowfall began Friday evening, intensified over the weekend, and caught mountain guides off guard.
One trekker who has visited the Himalayas more than a dozen times told the BBC he had “never experienced weather like this”.
Dong Shuchang, 27, said several people in the group of 20 showed signs of hypothermia.
Chen Geshuang, who was part of Mr. Dong’s hiking group, said the snow was about one meter deep when the group started retreating on Sunday.
“We are all experienced hikers,” Ms. Chen said. “But this snowstorm was still extremely difficult to deal with. I was very lucky to get out.”
Police, firefighters and hundreds of local Tibetan volunteers were mobilized for the rescue effort.
Another woman told the BBC she could barely sleep in her husband’s tent, which was stuck in the storm, because he was afraid of being buried in the snow.
Eric Wen told Reuters that three people in his group suffered from hypothermia even though they were adequately dressed.
It was snowing heavily and his group had to clear the snow every 10 minutes.
“Otherwise our tents would have collapsed,” he added.
In a separate mountainous region in western China, Qinghai province, one hiker died of hypothermia and altitude sickness and 137 people were evacuated, CCTV showed.
Neighboring Nepal, south of Tibet, was hammered by torrential rains that triggered landslides that killed more than 50 people.
