Hundreds of hikers trapped by snow on Mount Everest in Tibet

Rescue workers are helping hundreds of hikers trapped by heavy snow at tourist camps on the slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet, Chinese state media reported late Sunday.

State broadcaster CCTV said about 350 hikers had gathered at a meeting point in Tingri County, while rescuers were in contact with another 200. There was no new update on the rescue efforts as of Monday.

According to an earlier report by the Chinese news outlet Jimu News, the hikers were stranded at more than 16,000 feet. Mount Everest rises to about 29,000 feet.

A hiker who managed to descend before the snow blocked the path told Jimu News that others still on the mountain reported snow up to three feet deep, which had crushed tents.

Another hiker who reached safety told Reuters, “It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk. The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly.”

Hundreds of rescuers began climbing the mountain on Sunday to clear routes for those trapped, Jimu News said. A video filmed by a villager showed a long line of people, horses, and oxen moving up a winding path through the snow.

The snowstorm struck during China’s weeklong national holiday, a period when many people travel across the country.

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In another mountainous region of western China, one hiker died from hypothermia and altitude sickness, and 137 others were rescued in northern Qinghai province, CCTV reported Monday.

Rescue efforts in Menyuan County, which has an average altitude of more than 13,000 feet, were being hampered by rough terrain, unpredictable weather, and continuous snowfall, according to CCTV.

Mount Everest—known in China as Mount Qomolangma—sits on the border between China and Nepal. Recent heavy rains on the Nepalese side have caused landslides and destroyed villages, killing more than 40 people.

Climbers approach the mountain from base camps on both sides, but the tourist camp affected by the snowstorm is separate from the climbers’ base camp.

Earlier this year, a strong earthquake in the same area killed at least 126 people.

The Chinese side of Everest lies in Tibet, a remote region where the government has tightened control while investing heavily in infrastructure and tourism.

The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, fled to India after a failed uprising in 1959, where he leads a government in exile formed by Tibetan refugees.

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