Everest hikers guided to safety after being stranded by blizzard

A total of 580 hikers who were trapped by severe weather near Mount Everest have been guided to safety in Tibet, according to Chinese state media.

The trekkers arrived in the small township of Qudang and surrounding areas, along with 300 local guides, yak handlers and other support staff, CCTV reported on Tuesday.

A final group of around 10 hikers, accompanied by rescue workers, is yet to reach Qudang but has made it to a rendezvous point, which has heating equipment, oxygen and other emergency supplies.

The tourists became stranded at an altitude of more than 4,900m (16,000ft) after heavy snowfall blocked their route up Everest’s eastern slopes over the weekend.

The blizzard struck during China’s eight-day Golden Week holiday, a peak season for local tourism.

October usually provides clear skies and friendly temperatures, making it one of the favoured months to hike in the Mount Everest area.

Hundreds of hikers made their way to the Karma Valley hiking trail, a lesser-known but scenic route to the base of Everest – which also offers a view of the world’s highest peak.

The heavy snowfall began on Friday evening, intensifying over the weekend, catching mountain guides off guard.

One trekker, who had visited the Himalayas more than a dozen times, told the BBC he had “never experienced weather like this”.

Dong Shuchang, 27, said that several people in his group of 20 showed signs of hypothermia.

Chen Geshuang, who was part of Mr Dong’s hiking group, said the snow was about a metre deep when the group started their retreat on Sunday.

“All of us are experienced hikers,” Ms Chen said. “But this blizzard was still extremely difficult to deal with. I was so lucky to get out.”

Police, firefighters and hundreds of local Tibetan volunteers were mobilised for the rescue effort.

Another woman told the BBC that her husband, who had been stuck in the storm, barely slept in his tent because he was afraid of being buried in the snow.

Eric Wen told Reuters that three people in his group suffered from hypothermia even though they were adequately dressed.

They hardly slept because it was snowing too hard and his group had to clear the snow every 10 minutes.

“Otherwise our tents would have collapsed,” he added.

In a separate mountainous region in western China, Qinghai province, one hiker died of hypothermia and altitude sickness and 137 others were evacuated, CCTV said.

Neighbouring Nepal, to the south of Tibet, has also been battered by torrential rains, triggering severe flooding and landslides that have killed more than 50 people.