Mount Everest rescue finally reaches hundreds stranded after snowstorm

The last 200 hikers stuck 16,000ft up Mount Everest have finally been reached by rescue teams after a brutal snowstorm stranded hundreds on the world ’s tallest peak.

The savage weather conditions pummeled the mountain from Friday to Saturday with heavy snow and rain stranding trekkers on the remote climb. Rescuers have already brought around 350 people to safety after the weather calmed down, with the rescue operation due to be completed on Tuesday, it is understood.

Stranded trekkers have been taken to the Tibetan town of Qudang, about 30 miles from Everest base camp. One hiker caught in the blizzard described the dangerous conditions those trapped on the mountain faced before rescuers came to their aid.

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Hiker Chen Geshuang said: "It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk... The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly," Chen added.

A second witness told BBC: "All of us are experienced hikers... But this blizzard was still extremely difficult to deal with. I was so lucky to get out."

Eric Wen, another trekker, added: "It was raining and snowing every day, and we did not see Everest at all." Two men and a woman fell ill with hypothermia, despite wearing proper clothing for the expedition, it has been reported.

He added, snow needed to be cleared from the site every 10 minutes. "More than 10 of us were in the large tent and hardly slept," Eric added.

Heavy snow fell at Oga Campsite in the Karma Valley as hikers underwent a 12-day trek to reach the summit. The storm that has swept across the Himalayan region and sparked landslides and floods in Nepal, which resulted in the deaths of 40 people away from Everest.

The Karma Valley, where hundreds of climbers were stranded, is a lesser-known trail to the Everest base camp; it typically requires a decent level of mountaineering experience as well as people trekking it to be physically fit. The route requires guides and its use is heavily regulated, like other routes up to the summit.

Local media initially reported that 1,000 climbers had been stranded by the weather - but on Monday Chinese state media confirmed that 350 people had been evacuated while 200 remained trapped.

Mount Everest is hugely popular with people with the area receiving some 540,2000 visitors in 2024. The majority of visitors do not aim to reach the summit, with 1,000 people estimated to have done so last year.