CHINA – At least 1 hiker have been confirmed dead after a snowstorm hit the eastern slopes of Mount Everest over the weekend, with rescue operations ongoing to evacuate hundreds of people stranded.
The hiker died from hypothermia and altitude sickness on Sunday in the Laohugou area of Qinghai province.
Nearly 1,000 people were stranded in the region after a sudden blizzard blocked access roads and collapsed tents.
As of Monday, 137 stranded individuals have been safely evacuated with stable vital signs, whereas 350 trekkers stranded by the blizzard snowstorm that hit the eastern slope base camp of the world’s tallest mountain have safely arrived at the rescue point.
Local authorities said that they have also established contact with more than 200 others, who are expected to be safely returned.
Some 300 rescuers backed by two drones are carrying out the search and rescue operations in the Laohugou area, as continuous snowfall made the task “very challenging.”
Laohugou sits at an altitude of over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).
Hundreds of hikers were also stranded on the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet over the weekend.
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