BEIJING (AP) — Early-season snowfalls have stranded hikers in two mountainous areas in western China, including several hundred at the base of Mount Everest, and forced the closing of trails in a third.

In neighboring Nepal, a South Korean climber died after getting caught in a storm while ascending a Himalayan peak just south of Everest.

The severe weather struck in the middle of a weeklong national holiday in China, when many flock to national parks and other tourist sites. One person died and more than 200 others were evacuated after hiking into a remote part of Qinghai province.

Western China is dominated by the Tibetan plateau, a vast elevated area stretching from the Himalayas on the border with Nepal to Qinghai province and the Xinjiang region in the north. It is known for its sc

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