Snowstorm Strands Hundreds on Everest Tibet Slopes, One Dead

A severe early-season snowstorm struck the Tibetan side of Mount Everest during a peak Chinese national holiday, trapping hundreds of hikers at altitudes above 4,900 meters. Rescue efforts involving hundreds of rescuers, local villagers with horses and oxen, and the use of drones have successfully evacuated about 350 hikers, while more than 200 remained stranded but in contact with authorities. The storm, bringing nearly a meter of snow and lightning, created hazardous conditions that buried tents and blocked trails, forcing stranded hikers to dig themselves out and seek shelter in extreme cold. The situation was complicated by limited information from local authorities and ongoing searches for other hikers in nearby mountainous regions, where one hiker died from hypothermia and altitude sickness. The storm also prompted the closure of hiking trails in other areas of western China, such as Xinjiang's Kanas scenic area, due to dangerous snow and ice accumulation. Meanwhile, neighboring Nepal faced related tragedies with a South Korean climber dying amid a storm on a Himalayan peak and floods causing landslides and fatalities in the region.