08 October, Agency – Nearly 1,000 climbers and support staff who were stranded after a severe snowstorm on the Tibetan plateau near Mount Everest over the weekend have been safely rescued, according to Chinese state media.

In recent years, tourism has been rapidly increasing in China’s western highland regions. During this year’s eight-day national holiday, thousands of tourists and outdoor enthusiasts had flocked to the region’s popular trekking routes.

However, the heavy snowfall over the weekend buried many camps, leaving trekkers stranded. Rescue teams launched a large-scale operation using firefighters, horses, yaks, and even drones.

According to the state news agency Xinhua, 580 climbers and more than 300 local guides, staff, and yak herders were safely brought back to a nearby settlement. Rescue teams also delivered supplies and assisted about a dozen more climbers to reach the settlement safely.

The rescue operation near Everest has been officially declared over after all were safely returned. However, it has been reported that unexpected extreme weather caused damage in other nearby areas.

In neighboring Qinghai Province, state media confirmed on Monday that a hiker died due to hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Meanwhile, in Nepal and India, officials reported that more than 70 people have died due to floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall. Rescue workers are still facing difficulties reaching remote mountain villages.