Rescue workers evacuated over 580 tourists from a valley on Everest in Tibet

All tourists who were stranded in the snow on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest have been evacuated. Rescuers also brought mountain guides and yak herders to safety.

The evacuation affected the Kharta Valley at an altitude of about 4,200 meters. Over the weekend, the region was hit by an unusually strong snowstorm.

On Sunday, around 350 people were initially rescued, with the remaining 200 or so being rescued on Tuesday. According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, a total of 580 tourists and more than 300 guides and support staff were evacuated. It was one of the largest rescue operations in the region on the eastern slope of Everest.

Since Saturday, the area has been closed to the public, including the Kharta and Rongshar valleys and Mount Cho Oyu. Thousands of visitors had flocked to the region during the eight-day Chinese holiday.

The extreme weather also claimed at least one life in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu.

(reuters, lud)