BURSTAn intense snowstorm has stranded nearly 1,000 trekkers and climbers on the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet’s remote Karma Valley, at altitudes exceeding 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).
The blizzard, which began on Friday evening and intensified through Saturday with heavy snow, thunder, lightning, and sub-zero temperatures, has collapsed tents, buried camps under over a metre of snow, and blocked all access roads, creating life-threatening conditions including hypothermia and frostbite risks.
Hundreds of local villagers, alongside search and rescue techs, are working to shovel snow and clear paths. Helicopters and snowmobiles have been mobilised for higher-elevation groups. As of Oct. 5, 350 people had been successfully guided to safety. No fatalities have been reported, though several hikers are receiving treatment for hypothermia and frostbite.
One trekker told Reuters, “It was so wet and cold, hypothermia was a real risk. The guide said he’d never encountered such weather in October. It happened all too suddenly.” Another told the Daily Mail: “Many people’s tents have been crushed; the camp has more than a metre of snow.” The storm coincides with China’s eight-day National Day holiday, which always draws large crowds to Everest.
UPDATE: Tibet Everest Blizzard Rescue
A heavy snowstorm since Oct 3 stranded ~1,000 hikers on Mount Everest's eastern slope in Gama Valley, Qudang Township, Tibet, blocking paths and routes.
As of Oct 5, 350 reached a safe rendezvous point, while ~200 isolated hikers were… pic.twitter.com/jodse672oq
— Laszlo Varga (@LaszloRealtor) October 5, 2025
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