Rescue operations are in full swing on Tibet’s eastern slope of Mount Everest after a severe blizzard left nearly 1,000 people stranded at high-altitude campsites, Chinese state media reported on Sunday.
According to Jimu News, hundreds of local villagers and emergency teams have been deployed to clear snow-blocked roads and restore access to the affected area, which sits at an altitude of over 4,900 metres (16,000 feet). Some tourists have already been rescued and brought to safety, though operations remain challenging due to freezing temperatures and heavy snow accumulation.
The blizzard began late Friday evening and continued relentlessly through Saturday, prompting the Tingri County Tourism Company to suspend ticket sales and close entry to the Everest Scenic Area.
Nepal Hit by Deadly Floods and Landslides
Just across the border in Nepal, the same weather system has unleashed devastating rains, triggering landslides and flash floods that have killed at least 47 people since Friday, according to Nepalese police.
The Ilam district, near the Indian border, was hardest hit, with 35 people killed in separate landslides. Another nine individuals remain missing after being swept away by floodwaters, and three others were struck and killed by lightning in unrelated incidents.
Mount Everest Safety Debate Rekindled
The disaster comes as Nepal continues to grapple with mountaineering safety concerns on Everest. Earlier this year, the government proposed new regulations requiring climbers to have summited at least one 7,000-meter peak within Nepal before obtaining a permit to attempt Everest.
Officials argue the rule would reduce overcrowding and improve safety on the world’s tallest mountain, where inexperience and congestion have led to a rising death toll in recent years. However, the proposal has stirred controversy among international climbers and expedition operators, who claim it could unfairly restrict access and hurt Nepal’s lucrative mountaineering industry.
A Region on Edge
As blizzards trap climbers on the northern slopes and floods devastate communities to the south, the Himalayas once again highlight the extreme risks posed by climate and geography in one of the world’s most challenging environments.
