Hundreds of hikers stranded by a blizzard near the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet have been guided to safety by rescuers, Chinese state media is reporting, as unusually heavy snow and rainfall pummelled the Himalayas.

About 350 trekkers had reached a small township, while contact with the remaining 200-plus trekkers had been made, CCTV reported.

Visitors to the remote valley of Karma, which leads to the eastern Kangshung face of Everest, were in the hundreds this week, taking advantage of an eight-day National Day holiday in China.

The Karma Valley, first explored by Western travellers a century ago, is a relatively pristine part of the Everest region. Unlike the peak's arid north face, it boasts lush vegetation and untouched alpine forests, fed by meltwaters from the Kangshung

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