A sudden and violent blizzard left nearly 1,000 trekkers stranded on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest, triggering a large‑scale rescue operation under extremely hazardous conditions.
Beginning Friday evening, heavy snowfall and persistent rain hammered the remote eastern face of Everest, blocking access roads and trapping mountaineers in campsites high in the Himalayas.
As of Sunday, Chinese state media reported that around 350 trekkers had been guided safely down to the small township of Qudang after rescuers cleared snow‑choked paths.
Contact had also been made with more than 200 more individuals still stranded near the Kangshung (eastern) face, with plans for a phased evacuation.
Authorities said that the original number of people trapped may have approached 1,000, though precise figures remain uncertain.
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Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams were mobilized to remove snow and clear routes in the high‑altitude terrain above 4,000 meters (16,000 feet).
Survivors described harrowing conditions. One trekker, Chen Geshuang, who was part of an 18‑member party, recounted enduring wet, cold nights and the constant threat of hypothermia.
Another trekker, Eric Wen, said that their group had to dig snow off their tent every ten minutes to prevent collapse, and that three people in his group developed hypothermia.
The valley affected is known as Karma, which leads to Everest’s Kangshung face, a comparatively remote route seldom used relative to other faces of the mountain.
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Officials said it was unclear whether trekkers near the north face of Everest had been impacted.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Nepal, the same weather system unleashed heavy rains, triggering landslides and flash floods that have killed at least 47 people since Friday, washed out roads, and destroyed bridges.
Rescue efforts are ongoing. Those still stranded are expected to be brought down in stages, with teams working under immense pressure to reach them before conditions deteriorate further.
Established in December 2008, The Diplomatic Insight is Pakistan’s premier diplomacy and foreign affairs magazine, available in both digital and print formats.
