Hundreds Rescued From Mount Everest After Unexpected Blizzard
Qudang, Tibet - A major rescue operation is underway on Mount Everest after unusually heavy snowfall and rain stranded nearly 1,000 people in the Himalayas over the weekend.Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams have been deployed to clear snow blocking access to the area, which sits above 4,000 metres (16,000ft).
The adverse weather struck during peak trekking season in October, a time when skies typically clear following the Indian monsoon. Trekkers reported experiencing unusually wet and cold conditions,with a significant risk of hypothermia.
“It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk,” said chen Geshuang, a member of an 18-person trekking team that reached Qudang safely. “The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly.”
eric Wen, another trekker, described continuous rain and snow, obscuring views of Everest entirely. He recounted crowded tent conditions, requiring constant clearing to prevent collapse due to the heavy snowfall. three members of his expedition party suffered from hypothermia as temperatures dropped below freezing, but the group largely escaped unscathed.
The remote valley of Karma, leading to the Kangshung face of Everest, saw a surge in visitors this week coinciding with an eight-day national holiday in China.The extent of impact on trekkers near the north face of Everest, located in Tibet, remains unknown.
Further south, in Nepal, at least 47 people have been killed since Friday due to landslides and flash floods triggered by the heavy rainfall. Thirty-five deaths occurred in landslides in the eastern Ilam district bordering India, while nine remain missing after being swept away by floodwaters and three others were killed by lightning strikes.
