Overview

• State media report that 580 hikers and more than 300 local guides and support staff have reached safety.
• The groups were caught near Everest’s east flank around 4,900 meters, where heavy snow crushed tents and blocked routes.
• About 350 people were brought to the Qudang gathering point on Sunday, with the remaining groups arriving by Tuesday as orderly returns were prepared.
• In Qinghai province, rescuers located 251 people and confirmed one death attributed to hypothermia and altitude sickness.
• Parts of Xinjiang suspended hiking and camping as a precaution during the holiday period that drew large numbers to mountain areas.