New Delhi: Around 1,000 climbers have been trapped by a massive blizzard that has blocked roads on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest, Chinese state media reported on Sunday.
Hectic and intense rescue efforts are underway to clear access to campsites on Tibet’s eastern slope of the world’s highest mountain peak.
Multiple rescue teams were joined by local villagers in trying to remove snow blocking access to the area, which is at an altitude above 4,900 metres (16,000 feet), Reuters reported. Rescuers are having to battle extreme conditions, hence they are making slow progress.
🚨⚡️About a thousand people are stranded on the eastern slope of Mount Everest in Tibet due to heavy snowfall. The heavy snow is complicating rescue efforts, as tourists are unable to descend. pic.twitter.com/DZhPRNrzHD
— MOSCOW NEWS 🇷🇺 (@MOSCOW_EN) October 5, 2025
🚨 BREAKING: Blizzard traps nearly 1,000 people on Mount Everest’s east slope
A sudden whiteout hit the Everest east slope camp in Tibet, 4,900 meters up.
Tents crushed. Paths buried. Temperatures plummeting.Rescuers say hundreds are trapped across several camps, some showing… pic.twitter.com/nTmPS04qnK
— JJBOOM (@JordyHalo80) October 5, 2025
The heavy snowfall started on Friday evening and continued throughout Saturday, according to notices on the official WeChat accounts of the local Tingri County Tourism Company. Ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area have been suspended from late Saturday.
Nepal landslides kill 51, PM Modi offers help
Across the border in Nepal, torrential rains resulted in deadly landslides and flash floods that have claimed at least 51 lives. The Armed Police Force confirmed 37 people were killed in Ilam district alone, and dozens more perished in surrounding areas.
All 56 gates of Koshi Barrage, adjoining India, have been opened following a sharp rise in water level of Saptakoshi river due to continuous rainfall.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered help to the Himalayan country.
“The loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing. We stand with the people and Government of Nepal in this difficult time. As a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any assistance that may be required,” Modi said in a post on X.
The weather pattern that brought rain across Nepal since Friday night has now shifted to the eastern part of Nepal, which has been kept in the red zone following incessant rainfall.