According to Chinese state media, hundreds of hikers who were trapped by a blizzard near the eastern slope of Mount Everest in Tibet have been guided to safety by rescuers. Recently, the Himalayas have experienced rare and severe precipitation, with some areas hit by heavy rain and snow.
According to CCTV, as of the 5th, 350 hikers have arrived in Qudang Township, and more than 200 others have already made contact.
Coinciding with China's National Day Golden Week, this group of tourists, numbering in the hundreds, traveled this week to the remote Kama Valley en route to Kangshung Face on Everest's eastern slope.
The Kama Valley has an average altitude of about 4,200 meters, and snowfall began on the evening of the 3rd, continuing into the following day.
The remaining hikers will arrive at Qudang Township in batches under the guidance and assistance of rescue teams organized by the local government.
Rescue Seeker Estimates Nearly 1,000 at Campsite
According to Jimu News, over a hundred villagers and rescue team members have been dispatched to clear snow and open up roads to assist with the rescue of those trapped. Jimu News estimates that nearly 1,000 people were trapped at that time.
Posts from internet users indicate that at 5:00 am on the 15th, the Tibet Blue Sky Rescue Team received a distress call from those trapped on Everest's eastern slope. The caller said that an estimated nearly 1,000 people were at several campsites, with the blizzard causing tent collapses and some people already showing symptoms of hypothermia, describing the situation as critical.
Mr. Sun, who descended from the Everest eastern slope camp, said he arrived at the campsite on September 28 and managed to get down the mountain on October 4, just before the blizzard sealed off the roads.
Mr. Sun said that snow started falling on the mountain on the evening of October 3 and didn’t stop all day on the 4th. “Friends who stayed on the mountain told me there was a blizzard that night, many tents were flattened, snow accumulation at the camp reached over one meter deep, and all the descent routes were blocked.”
Landslides and Floods in Nepal Claim Over 100 Lives
To the south in Nepal, heavy rainfall has triggered landslides and flash floods, resulting in at least 64 deaths since the 3rd. Some roads have been destroyed and bridges washed away. Multiple landslides occurred in Ilam District, eastern Nepal, near the Indian border, resulting in 35 deaths and 9 people missing.