Rescuers have been helping hundreds of hikers trapped by heavy snow at tourist campsites on a slope of Mount Everest in Tibet, Chinese state media said.

About 350 hikers had reached a meeting point in Tingri country late on Sunday and rescuers were in contact with another 200, state broadcaster CCTV said.

The hikers were trapped at an elevation of more than 4900 metres, according to an earlier report from Jimu News, a Chinese online site. Mount Everest is about 8850 metres tall.

A hiker who rushed to descend before snow blocked the way told Jimu News that others still on the mountain told him the snow was a metre deep and had crushed tents.

Hundreds of rescuers headed up the mountain on Sunday to clear paths so that trapped people could come down, the Jimu report said.

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