SRINAGAR: Rescue operations are underway on the Tibetan slopes of Mount Everest after a fierce blizzard trapped nearly 1,000 people at campsites on the mountain’s eastern side, according to multiple media reports.
Hundreds of villagers and rescue teams have been mobilised to clear thick snow blocking access routes at an altitude of more than 4,900 metres. Some stranded tourists have already been evacuated, according to the BBC, citing local media.
The snowfall, which began on Friday evening, has since intensified across the eastern slopes of the world’s tallest peak, an area frequented by climbers and trekkers.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Nepal has been lashed by heavy rains that triggered landslides and flash floods, killing at least 52 people.
Mount Everest, known as Mount Qomolangma in China, stands at 8,849 metres and remains one of the most challenging and hazardous peaks in the world.
