FLASH
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Hundreds of climbers stranded by a snowstorm near the east face of Mount Everest in Tibet have been guided to safety by rescue teams, Chinese state media reported on Sunday, as unusual snowfall and rain swept through the Himalayas.
As of Sunday, 350 climbers had reached the small town of Qudang, while contact had been established with over 200 remaining climbers, CCTV reported.
Visitors to the remote Karma Valley, which leads to the east face of Everest's Kangshung, were in their hundreds this week, taking advantage of China's eight-day National Day holiday.
"It was very cold in the mountains and hypothermia was a real risk," said Chen Geshuang, who was part of an 18-person mountaineering team that reached Qudang.
Chen's group descended from the mountains on Sunday and were greeted by villagers after enduring a terrifying evening of heavy snowfall combined with thunder and lightning. With tears in her eyes, Chen accepted their offers of sweet tea and the promise of warmth, she said.
Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams were deployed to help remove snow blocking access to the area, where nearly 1,000 people were trapped, according to an earlier report by the state-backed Jimu News.
The remaining climbers will arrive in Qudang in stages under the guidance and assistance of rescue teams organized by the local government, CCTV reported.
The security camera report did not say whether local guides and support staff for hiking groups were involved.
Snowfall in the valley, which lies at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), began on Friday evening and continued throughout Saturday.
"It rained and snowed every day, and we didn't see Everest at all," said Eric Wen, who survived the ordeal.
His hiking group of 18 people had decided on Saturday evening to return from their fifth and final campsite, troubled by the continuing snowfall.
"We only had a few tents. More than 10 of us were in the big tent and we could barely sleep," Wen told Reuters on Monday.
Wen said his group had to clear the snow every 10 minutes.
Two men and a woman in the group fell victim to hypothermia when the temperature dropped below freezing, even though they were adequately dressed, Wen said.
But his expedition group emerged largely unscathed, including eight other expedition guides and several others who looked after the yaks by transporting their equipment and gear.
The Karma Valley, first explored by Western travelers a century ago, is a relatively untouched part of the Everest region. Unlike the arid north face of the peak, it boasts lush vegetation and untouched alpine forests, fed by meltwater from the Kangshung Glacier at the foot of the world's highest mountain. / Adapted from Reuters /
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