**About 900 Hikers and Staff Rescued After Snowstorm Strands Them on Chinese Side of Mount Everest**
BEIJING (AP) — Approximately 900 hikers, guides, and support staff who were stranded by a severe snowstorm on the Chinese side of Mount Everest have safely been evacuated, state media reported late Tuesday.
The storm hit the area on Saturday night, cutting off access to a campsite where the hikers were staying in tents at an altitude exceeding 4,900 meters (16,000 feet). In total, 580 hikers along with over 300 guides, yak herders, and other workers were trapped by the sudden weather conditions.
By noon Monday, about 350 hikers had managed to descend to safety, with the remainder arriving by Tuesday, according to local government sources cited by state media.
Some hikers suffered from hypothermia. The official Xinhua News Agency reported that approximately a dozen individuals were escorted to a safe meeting point by rescue teams equipped with food, medical supplies, heating, and oxygen.
Due to the incident, the scenic area on the Chinese side of Mount Everest, located in Tibet, has been temporarily closed. The 8,850-meter (29,000-foot) peak—the world’s highest—straddles the border between China and Nepal.
The storm occurred during China’s weeklong National Day holiday, which ends Wednesday. This holiday commemorates the founding of Communist Party rule in China on October 1, 1949, and is traditionally a peak travel period both domestically and internationally.
Meanwhile, in Nepal, a South Korean climber tragically died during a weekend storm near the summit of Mera Peak, a 6,476-meter (21,250-foot) Himalayan mountain located south of Everest.
Early-season snowstorms also impacted at least two other areas of western China over the weekend. One person died, and motorists were stranded on an icy and snow-covered highway near a popular hiking destination.
In Qinghai province’s remote Qilian Mountains, more than 200 people were evacuated from a rugged valley. Authorities reported one death from hypothermia and altitude sickness and subsequently warned the public against entering the area without permission due to difficult terrain, unpredictable weather, and an average altitude of over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).
Similarly, in northwest China’s Xinjiang region, the Kanas scenic area was closed after a snowstorm on Sunday stranded motorists on a nearby highway. State media confirmed that the road was cleared by Monday.
Officials continue to monitor conditions closely as the region copes with early winter weather challenges.
https://wgntv.com/news/ap-hundreds-of-hikers-rescued-from-mount-everest-after-severe-snowstorm/
