All hikers trapped by a severe snowstorm near the east side of Mount Everest in Tibet have been brought to safety, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

According to the county government, a total of 580 hikers and more than 300 local guides and yak herders were evacuated safely.

Heavy snowfall over the weekend had caught hundreds of hikers off guard in the Himalayan region, with tents crushed by snow and trails rendered impassable.

The groups were reported to be at altitudes of around 4,900 metres near the east side of the world’s highest peak, which rises to 8,849 metres.

Xinhua said that authorities had earlier reported that about 350 people had been moved to a gathering point in the town of Qudang, where the remaining hikers now arrived.

Other regions of western China were also affected by the sudden winter storm.

In neighbouring Qinghai province, 251 hikers were rescued after days of search efforts, but authorities said one person died from hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Hypothermia is a dangerous drop in body temperature due to cold, wind, or wetness, while altitude sickness is a physiological response to high altitude caused by reduced oxygen.

However, parts of Xinjiang also suspended hiking and camping activities for safety reasons.

The snowstorms struck during China’s “Golden Week” around the National Day holiday in October, a period when many people travel to the mountains. 

(dpa/NAN)