Rescue efforts are underway on Sunday to reach camps on the eastern slope of Mount Everest in Tibet, where nearly 1,000 people have been trapped after a powerful snowstorm blocked access roads, according to reports from Chinese state media.
Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams have been deployed to clear the snow and reopen routes to the affected area, which sits at an altitude of over 4,900 meters (16,000 feet), according to Jimu News.
Some tourists have already managed to descend from the mountain, the report added.
The snowfall began Friday evening and continued throughout Saturday, local tourism authorities in Tingri County said in an official statement on WeChat. They announced that ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from Saturday onward due to the dangerous conditions.
Meanwhile, just across the border in Nepal, at least 47 people have died as a result of torrential rains and flash floods since Friday.
