SHANGHAI – Rescue operations are in full swing on Tibet’s eastern slope of Mount Everest, where nearly 1,000 tourists have been stranded after a severe blizzard blocked access routes, Chinese state media reported on Sunday. Local authorities have mobilized hundreds of villagers and emergency teams to clear thick snow from the mountain roads at an altitude of over 4,900 metres (16,000 feet), according to Jimu News.
Some stranded tourists have already been safely evacuated, officials confirmed. The heavy snowfall began on Friday evening and persisted through Saturday, leading the Tingri County Tourism Company to suspend ticket sales and close entry to the Everest Scenic Area. Meanwhile, across the border in Nepal, relentless rains and flash floods have claimed at least 47 lives since Friday, further highlighting the region’s extreme weather conditions this weekend.