Every Single Trekkers Currently Safe After Days Caught in Severe Snowstorm
Search parties have successfully guided all of the remaining trekkers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to safety, along with hundreds of native guides and animal tenders, local government reported. This concludes one of the biggest rescue and recovery efforts ever undertaken in the region.
Large-Scale Rescue Effort Completed
Several hundred of trekkers were became trapped in thick snow over the past few days in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly intense winter blast dumped significant snowfall across the territory.
Snow continued to fall throughout Saturday in the valley, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had led approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.
Previous accounts had suggested that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach safety by Tuesday.
In total, 580 hikers, coupled with more than 300 escorts, livestock herders, and other assistants were evacuated, according to government statements released on Tuesday night.
Survivors Describe Severe Situations
One Chinese traveler shared how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.
“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we learned the snow was intense in the valley, too; local residents, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”
Expedition Schedules Disrupted
The severe weather also hindered the goals of alpinists led by a American mountaineering outfit to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.
Visitor Increase in the Area
Karma valley was first discovered by foreign adventurers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel attraction, the area has drawn an rising number of visitors. More than 540,000 sightseers visited the Everest region last year, establishing a new record.
Region Remains Off-Limits
The Everest region remains temporarily off-limits to the general public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.
Wider Effect
The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced many of trekkers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one individual succumbed, due to a mix of exposure and altitude sickness.
Atypical Conditions
October is typically a peak season for the area, with typically fine and pleasant weather, but one member of an 18-person expedition team that got back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “not normal.”
