Severe snowfall has stranded nearly 1,000 climbers and tourists on the Tibetan slopes of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. Chinese state media reported that heavy snow, which began Friday evening, has caused massive snowdrifts and landslides across camps on the mountain’s eastern side, halting all movement in the area.
At an altitude of over 4,900 meters, hundreds of local villagers are working to clear the snow and reopen access routes. Chinese government rescue teams have also joined the operation, and despite harsh weather, some climbers have already been evacuated to safety.
The Blue Sky Rescue Team in Tibet received an emergency alert indicating that multiple tents were destroyed by the snowfall and several climbers were suffering from hypothermia. To manage the situation, Tingri County Tourism Company has temporarily closed entry and ticket sales to the Everest Scenic Area since Saturday.
The extreme weather is not limited to Everest. Neighboring regions in Nepal have also been severely affected, with heavy rains, landslides, and flash floods destroying bridges and claiming at least 47 lives over the past two days. Meanwhile, Typhoon “Matmo” struck China, forcing around 150,000 people to evacuate to safer areas.
Experts warn that climate change is increasing the frequency of unusual snowfall and extreme weather in the Himalayas, potentially leading to more severe humanitarian crises in the future.
Source: BBC.