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21m ago

Everest Blizzard: 350 Rescued in Tibet as Hundreds Still Await Evacuation

Access to the Everest Scenic Area is suspended, with teams carrying out staged evacuations to Qudang.

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Base Camp Everest Nepal. (Photo by David Cheskin/PA Images via Getty Images)
A Nepali man rescues an elderly woman from a flooded area in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 4, 2025. Residential areas along the riverbanks of Kathmandu are inundated due to the continued influence of moisture-laden monsoon winds from the Bay of Bengal, which trigger heavy rainfall in parts of the Himalayan nation. In Nepal, the monsoon is particularly influenced by the Bay of Bengal, making it a major driver of monsoon-related disasters. During the four months of the monsoon season, starting from June to September, Nepal typically receives around 80% of its annual average rainfall of 1,600 mm, sometimes reaching up to 1,800 mm. Nepal ranks second after Bangladesh in South Asia and 20th globally in multi-hazard disaster risk. According to the 2019 Asian Development Bank report, floods alone cause an average annual loss exceeding USD 140 million, accounting for 1.4% of Nepal's GDP. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Overview

  • A sudden blizzard from Friday into Saturday buried camps in the Karma Valley on the Kangshung approach at around 4,200 metres, collapsing tents and putting hikers at risk of hypothermia.
  • CCTV reported that at least 350 people have reached Qudang after routes were cleared, with contact established with more than 200 others now being guided down in groups.
  • Hundreds of local villagers and organised crews, including Tibet’s Blue Sky Rescue team, are reopening snow-blocked roads and trails during a National Day holiday surge in visitors.
  • Authorities halted ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area late Saturday, and the status of some guides and trekkers — including groups on the north face — remains unconfirmed.
  • Heavy rains to the south in Nepal have triggered landslides and flash floods that have killed at least 47 people since Friday, underscoring wider Himalayan weather risks.