Rescue efforts were underway on Sunday to clear access to campsites on the eastern slope of Mount Everest in Tibet, where nearly 1,000 people have been trapped by a blizzard that blocked roads, according to Chinese state media.
Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams have been deployed to remove the snow blocking access to the area, which is situated at an altitude above 4,900 metres (16,000 feet), Jimu News reported. Some tourists have already been brought down from the mountain.
The snowfall began on Friday evening and continued throughout Saturday. Notices on the official WeChat accounts of the local Tingri County Tourism Company stated that ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from late Saturday.
Meanwhile, just across the border in Nepal, heavy rains have triggered landslides and flash floods, blocking roads, washing away bridges, and killing at least 47 people since Friday, according to police reports. Thirty-five deaths occurred in separate landslides in the eastern Ilam district bordering India, nine people are missing after being swept away by floodwaters, and three others were killed by lightning strikes elsewhere in the country.
