Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the last hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including scores of local guides and livestock handlers, officials reported. This marks the end one of the biggest rescue and recovery missions ever seen in the area.
Massive Evacuation Operation Completed
Numerous of explorers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an exceptionally powerful winter blast dumped substantial snowfall across the region.
Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which is located at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had guided approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.
Earlier reports had suggested that the last group of roughly 200 individuals were expected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.
In total, 580 trekkers, along with more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other assistants were brought out, according to government statements released on Tuesday late in the day.
Survivors Describe Severe Situations
One from China traveler shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, obliging them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.
“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we learned the snow was heavy in the valley, too; local residents, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”
Expedition Plans Thwarted
The snowstorm also disrupted the goals of climbers escorted by a US-based mountaineering company to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and the nation of Nepal.
Visitor Increase in the Area
Karma valley was first explored by foreign adventurers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism attraction, the area has brought in an rising number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists explored the Everest region last year, marking a unprecedented number.
Region Remains Closed
The Everest region is still currently inaccessible to the visitors, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.
Broader Impact
The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted many of travelers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one individual lost their life, due to a mix of low body temperature and acute mountain sickness.
Unusual Weather
October is typically a peak season for the area, with usually clear and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that made it back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “unusual.”
