Mount Everest blizzard: At least 1 person killed, 137 rescued; dozens still stranded

Beijing: One hiker was killed while 137 others, stranded after a blizzard on the Tibetan slopes of Mt Everest, were rescued, local Chinese officials said Monday.

A 41-year-old male hiker died from hypothermia and acute altitude sickness, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, quoting local officials.

So far, 137 hikers, stranded due to continuous snowfall in northwest Qinghai Province, had been relocated and were in stable condition, the report said. Over 100 hiking enthusiasts headed toward the Laohugou region of Menyuan Hui Autonomous County in Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture during the current eight-day national holidays, which started on October 1.

The Laohugou region, in the Qilian Mountains, featuring an average altitude exceeding 4,000 meters and complex terrain, experienced continuous snowfall during the holiday period. Over 300search personnel, more than 10 teams employing horses and two medium-sized drones, have been mobilised to conduct thorough searches in seeking to ensure the safety of stranded hikers.

Search and rescue efforts continue as some hikers remain missing. Earlier, the state-run CCTV reported that 350 were rescued while 200 remained missing. A BBC report on Sunday said that over 1,000 hikers were stuck in the slopes of Mt Everest, the world’s highest peak, in the Karma Valley on the Chinese side of the mountain.

According to videos and eyewitness accounts posted on social media by the stranded climbers, thunder and strong winds hit the remote area on Sunday, and incessant snow buried tracks leadingto

the spot.