All tourists stranded on Everest were evacuated safely

One of the biggest rescue operations on Everest in recent years has ended; All tourists stranded on the eastern slope of the mountain due to a severe snowstorm were taken to a safe place. This was reported by local Tibetan authorities, who confirmed that hundreds of guides and yak drivers also received assistance.

People were surprised by bad weather on October 5, when nearly a thousand tourists and residents were cut off from the outside world at an altitude of more than 4.9 kilometers. The snowfall that started on Friday completely blocked the roads leading to tourist camps and caused landslides on mountain roads. The temperature dropped rapidly and, according to eyewitnesses, it became dangerous to stay in tents due to hypothermia.

“Everything happened so suddenly. The weather was so cold and humid, we didn’t know if we would survive until the morning,” said tourist Chen Geshuang, one of the expedition members. Another climber, Eric Wen, noted that snowfall is accompanied by thunder and lightning, and that tents must be cleaned every 10 minutes to prevent them from collapsing under the weight of the snow.

According to Xinhua, the rescue operation began as soon as weather conditions allowed. At first they managed to take off about 350 people, the next day the remaining 550 tourists were evacuated. Headquarters representatives stated that the coordination between rescuers and local guides was unprecedented and that every life matters.

Although the operation was successful, there were some losses. One of the tourists died from severe hypothermia and oxygen starvation. It was learned that the other injured people received medical aid and their condition was not in danger.

By the way, a tourist who had previously fallen from the Vilyuchinsky volcano in Kamchatka was rescued.

Source: People Talk