Nearly 1,000 Climbers Stranded on Everest Due to Snowstorm, Rescue Efforts Underway

Kokcha News Agency: Nearly 1,000 climbers were stranded on the eastern slope of Mount Everest in Tibet after heavy snowfall blocked roads at an altitude of 4,900 meters. Local villagers and rescue teams were dispatched to the area, and the rescued climbers were transported to the town of Qudang.

Authorities announced that due to the intense snow and rain over the weekend, entry into the Everest Tourist Area and ticket sales have been suspended.

The Blue Sky Rescue Team in Tibet received distress calls reporting that “tents had collapsed under the weight of snow” and that some climbers were at risk of hypothermia.

Chen Geshuang, one of the rescued climbers, told Reuters, “It was very wet and cold, and hypothermia was a serious risk. Our guide said he had never seen such weather in October. Everything happened suddenly.”

The climbers had ventured to the Kangshung Valley on the eastern face of Everest to take advantage of the eight-day National Day holiday in China. However, heavy snowfall began on Friday night and continued uninterrupted throughout Saturday.

Another climber, Eric Wen, described the ordeal, saying, “We decided to descend on Saturday night after the snowstorm intensified at the fifth camp. It snowed every day, and we never even saw Everest. Ten of us were crammed into a single tent. The snow was so heavy that we had to go out every 10 minutes to clear it off the tent to prevent it from collapsing.”

Chen and his team managed to descend the mountain on Sunday and were greeted by villagers. “I cried as I accepted their offers of sweet tea and hot food. We finally warmed up,” Chen said.

Local authorities have announced that the remaining hikers will be rescued in stages and brought to Qudang town.

It is still unclear whether climbers on the northern side of Everest have been affected. The region has been facing severe rainfall and unstable weather conditions in recent weeks. In neighboring Nepal, 47 people have lost their lives in floods and landslides over the past two days.