Snowstorm: Nearly 1,000 trekkers were stranded in the Karma Valley near the eastern edge of Mount Everest in Tibet due to a sudden blizzard.
As of Sunday, October 5, 2025, rescuers had evacuated 350 trekkers to safety in Qudang Township, and contact had been established with the remaining 200 trekkers.
Heavy snowfall, thunderstorms, and lightning, which began Friday evening, continued into Saturday at an altitude of 4,200 meters, posing a risk of hypothermia.
Local villagers and rescue teams cleared snow-blocked paths to help evacuate people. Ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended late Saturday night.
In Nepal, heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods, killing at least 47 people, blocking roads, and washing away bridges.
❗️🗻🇨🇳 – A sudden blizzard stranded nearly 1,000 trekkers in the Karma valley near Mount Everest’s eastern face in Tibet.
By Sunday, October 5, 2025, rescuers guided 350 trekkers to safety in Qudang township, with contact established with the remaining 200-plus.
Heavy… pic.twitter.com/9Cfd5SlrJv
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) October 6, 2025
Rescuers, along with hundreds of local guides and yak herders, transported the remaining climbers to safety near the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet on Tuesday, culminating one of the largest search and rescue operations in the region.
The operation was launched after hundreds of climbers became trapped in snow in the remote Karma Valley over the weekend. The incident occurred after an unusually intense blizzard brought heavy snowfall to the region.
The blizzard continued to pound the valley, located at an altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), on Saturday. By Sunday, rescuers had brought about 350 climbers to safety.
According to an earlier Reuters report, which cited a source, the remaining 200 climbers were expected to reach safety by Tuesday.
According to official reports from Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday evening, a total of 580 trekkers, more than 300 guides, yak herders, and support staff were evacuated.
The severe snowstorm also disrupted the plans of climbers guided by US-based Madison Mountaineering, who were attempting to climb Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak located on the China-Nepal border.
The Karma Valley was first discovered by Western travelers a century ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a major tourist destination, the number of tourists to the region has increased. Last year, more than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region, a new record.
According to the news agency Xinhua, the Everest region, including the Karma and Rongsar valleys, and Cho Oyu, is temporarily closed to the public.
Heavy snowfall over the weekend also affected hundreds of climbers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. One person died due to hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.
(With agency inputs)