Hundreds of trekkers escape from blizzard-struck Everest as race to rescue others ongoing

Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a blizzard near the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet have been guided to safety by rescuers, Chinese state media reported on Sunday, as unusually heavy snow and rainfall pummelled the Himalayas.

As of Sunday, 350 trekkers had reached the small township of Qudang, while contact with the remaining 200-plus trekkers had been made, CCTV reported. 

Visitors to the remote valley of Karma, which leads to the eastern Kangshung face of Everest, were in the hundreds this week, taking advantage of an eight-day National Day holiday in China. 

"It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk," said Chen Geshuang, who was part of an 18-strong trekking team that made it to Qudang. 

"The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly." 

Chen's party descended from the mountains on Sunday and was greeted by villagers after enduring a harrowing evening of heavy snowfall combined with thunder and lightning. With tears in her eyes, Chen accepted their offers of sweet tea and the promise of warmth, she said.

"Back in the village, we had a meal and were finally warm."

Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams had been deployed to help remove snow blocking access to the area, where nearly 1,000 people had been trapped, according to an earlier report by state-backed Jimu News. 

The remaining trekkers will arrive in Qudang in stages under the guidance and assistance of rescuers organised by the local government, CCTV reported. 

The CCTV report did not say if local guides and support staff of the trekking parties had been accounted for. 

'Hardly slept' 

Snowfall in the valley, which lies at an elevation averaging 4,200 metres (13,800 feet), began on Friday evening and persisted throughout Saturday. 

"It was raining and snowing every day, and we did not see Everest at all," said Eric Wen, who survived the ordeal.

His trekking party of 18 had decided on Saturday night to make their way back from their fifth and final campsite, concerned by the continuous snowfall.

"We only had a few tents. More than 10 of us were in the large tent and hardly slept," Wen told Reuters on Monday. "It was snowing too hard."

Wen said his group had to clear the snow every 10 minutes.

"Otherwise our tents would have collapsed," he said.

Two men and a woman in the group fell victim to hypothermia when the temperature slipped below freezing, even though they were sufficiently attired, Wen said.

But his expedition party emerged largely unscathed, including eight other expedition guides and several others who tended the yaks transporting their equipment and kit.

North Face 

Karma valley, first explored by Western travellers a century ago, is a relatively pristine part of the Everest region. Unlike the peak's arid north face, it boasts lush vegetation and untouched alpine forests, fed by meltwaters from the Kangshung glacier at the foot of the world's highest mountain.

It was unclear if trekkers near the north face had been affected or not. 

The north face, due to its easy access by paved road, regularly draws large numbers of tourists. October is a peak season, when skies usually clear at the end of the Indian monsoon. 

Ticket sales and entry to the entire Everest Scenic Area were suspended from late Saturday. 

To the south of Tibet in Nepal, heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges and killed at least 47 people since Friday.

Thirty-five people died in separate landslides in the eastern Ilam district bordering India. Nine were reported missing after being swept away by floodwaters and three others were killed in lightning strikes.

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