At Least 47 Dead, Trekkers Stranded on Everest

A sudden early-season blizzard struck the eastern/Tibetan slopes of Mount Everest (Karma Valley/Kangshung face) beginning Friday evening during China’s National Day holiday, dumping heavy snow, thunder and lightning and blocking roads and trails. Chinese state media and international outlets say nearly 1,000 trekkers, guides and support staff were initially trapped in camps; about 350 people have been escorted to the township of Qudang and rescuers have made contact with more than 200 others who are being guided down in stages. Hundreds of local villagers, Tibet’s Blue Sky Rescue Team and government-organized teams have been deployed to clear snow, free collapsed tents and treat cases of hypothermia, and ticket sales and entry to the Everest scenic area have been suspended. Authorities have not confirmed whether all local guides and support staff are accounted for or whether groups near the north face were affected. The storm coincided with heavy rain across the Himalayas that triggered landslides and flash floods in Nepal that have killed at least 47 people and caused additional flood-related casualties in India, complicating rescue and relief operations.