FILE – In this May 16, 2020 aerial photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese surveyors hike toward a higher spot from the base camp on Mount Qomolangma at an altitude of 5,200 meters. Jigme Dorje/Xinhua/AP hide caption
toggle caption
Jigme Dorje/Xinhua/AP
BEIJING — Rescue workers were helping hundreds of hikers trapped by heavy snow at tourist campsites on a slope of Mount Everest in Tibet, Chinese state media said late Sunday.
About 350 hikers had reached a meeting point in Tingri country and rescuers were in contact with another 200, state broadcaster CCTV said. There was no immediate update on rescue efforts on Monday.
The hikers were trapped at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet), according to an earlier report from Jimu News, a Chinese online site. Mount Everest is about 8,850 meters (29,000 feet) tall.
A hiker who rushed to descend before snow blocked the way told Jimu News that others still on the mountain told him the snowfall had crushed tents.
Hundreds of rescuers headed up the mountain Sunday to clear paths and bring down trapped people, the Jimu report said.
The snowstorm struck during a weeklong national holiday in China.