Hundreds of rescuers have been deployed to Mount Everest after a powerful blizzard trapped more than a thousand hikers on the mountain’s eastern slopes over the weekend.
Image of Mount Everest Base Camp used for illustrative purposes/Rajan Dahal/Unsplash
According to the BBC, at least one person has died, with rescue operations ongoing in Tibet’s Everest region. Reuters, citing a government source, reported that evacuations are underway and that weather conditions are gradually improving after several days of severe snowfall and strong winds.
KZN local among those caught in the storm
Among those who endured the ordeal is Lee Maree, a hiker from Oslo Beach on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast. Maree reached Everest Base Camp on Friday at an altitude of 5,364 metres, just as the storm struck.
“We finally made it to base camp. We were hit with a snow blizzard the entire day. The views weren’t what we wanted, but the euphoria of being there was unbelievable,” he told the South Coast Herald.
“The altitude really got to me, and I had to dig deep to get to the top. It was a tough day, but a true team effort.”
Maree said the following days were gruelling as his group battled through the storm.
“We’ve been hiking in the storm for the past three days. There were landslides everywhere, so we had to take many detours. But we are safely through now.”
‘We pushed through the blizzard to get out’
While some hikers were forced to take shelter and became stranded, Maree and his team decided to press on despite the worsening conditions.
“We pushed through the blizzard to get out. The guys that stayed got caught up there. Thank goodness our guides pushed us through the blizzard and the rain. They knew what was coming. It was a hard four days, but we’re all good,” he said.
When he spoke to the newspaper, Maree said they had completed their descent only hours earlier and were now waiting for transport out of the region.
“We’re just waiting for a flight out. The small airport has been shut down for four days. All roads into Kathmandu are closed, so we’re hoping for helicopter or private plane evacuations.”
Nepal reels from floods and landslides
Beyond Everest, Nepal has been battered by widespread flooding and landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains. Al Jazeera reported that at least 47 people have died, while major roads and bridges have been destroyed across the country.
With skies finally clearing on Monday, Maree said there had been “lots of action with rescue helicopters flying all day today” as stranded hikers were airlifted to safety.
Source: The Citizen
Follow us on social media for more travel news, inspiration, and guides. You can also tag us to be featured.
TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
ALSO READ: Nearly 1,000 climbers stranded on Mount Everest as blizzard triggers major rescue effort
