Overview

• Emergency teams have evacuated hundreds, including about 350 by Tibet’s Blue Sky Rescue group, while many others remain stranded in severe conditions.
• Authorities had already suspended ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area through Tingri County’s tourism office before the storm struck.
• Reports from the mountain describe more than a meter of snow, collapsed tents, blocked descent routes, and cases of hypothermia at roughly 4,800–5,000 meters.
• The disaster renews focus on the lethal ‘Death Zone’ above 8,000 meters and estimates that roughly 300 bodies remained on Everest as of 2024.
• Body recovery remains dangerous and costly, with Nepal’s army estimating $75,000–$80,000 per person and helicopters generally limited to safe landings near Camp 2 at about 6,400 meters, as warming exposes more remains.