Beijing: Hundreds of trekkers were stranded by a blizzard near the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet, Chinese state media reported, as unusually heavy snow and rainfall pummelled the Himalayas.

About 350 trekkers had reached the small township of Qudang by Monday afternoon (AEDT) after being guided to safety by rescuers, while contact with more than 200 people still stuck on the lower slopes had been made, CCTV reported.

Tibet media released a video showing trekkers being welcomed with hot soup in a communal hall and then boarding buses that took them away from the area.

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.

“It was so wet and col

See Full Page