Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/AFP
Topics: World News
Callum Jones
A massive search operation is underway as hundreds of people have been left stranded on Mount Everest following an unpredictable snowstorm.
Every year, hundreds of people challenge themselves to reach the summit of the world's highest peak, which sits at a staggering 29,032 feet.
But while Mount Everest might be a popular hiking spot for adrenaline-seekers, that doesn't mean it comes without any dangers, with events this weekend being a stark reminder of the challenges facing those who climb the peak.
Hundreds of locals and rescuers have been deployed to clear the snow blocking access on the Tibetan slopes after an ‘unusually high’ level of snowfall and a blizzard in the area.
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The heavy snowfall began on Friday evening (3 October) before intensifying on the eastern slopes of Everest over the weekend.
Around 350 hikers have been evacuated, while around 200 remaining on the slopes have been contacted.
There has been no immediate update on the rescue efforts for the remaining 200 hikers, though a report from Chinese news outlet Jimu News stated they had been trapped at an elevation of more than 4,900 metres.
It is said they will arrive in the small township of Qudang under the guidance and assistance of rescuers brought together by the local government and authorities.
Geshuang Chen was part of a group that decided to head for the slopes alongside ten other hikers on Saturday (October 4), but they ultimately decided to head back the next day when the severe blizzard meant the snowfall was far higher than expected.
Speaking to the BBC, Chen said: "When we woke up the next morning, the snow was already about a metre deep. All of us are experienced hikers. But this blizzard was still extremely difficult to deal with. I was so lucky to get out."
Chen is now on her way back to Lhasa city, a position of safety.
Not only is it known as the hiking season in Tibet right now, but there is also currently a big eight-day holiday across China known as the ‘Golden Week Holiday’.
As such, the trails are even more packed than usual with visitors and tourists taking on the biggest peak in the world.
Chen added to the BBC: "Many people come here to hike during the Golden Week, but this year's snow was exceptional."
The Himalayas have been hit with extreme weather as of late, with at least 47 people said to have died in Nepal following unprecedented landslides and floods.