Mount Everest Snowstorm: Update on Rescue Operations for Hundreds of Trapped Climbers

Liputan6.com, Jakarta An extreme snowstorm struck the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet in early October 2025, trapping nearly a thousand people.

The Mount Everest snowstorm rescue happened during China's National Day holiday, as reported by BBC.

Thousands of climbers and support staff faced extremely harsh weather conditions.

Heavy snowfall began on the evening of Friday, October 3, 2025, and continued through Saturday, October 4, 2025, with increasing intensity.

In response to this critical situation, a joint rescue team was immediately deployed to conduct the Mount Everest snowstorm rescue.

As of Sunday, October 5, 2025, approximately 350 people had been successfully evacuated to the small town of Qudang.

Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a blizzard near the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet were guided to safety by rescuers, as unusually heavy snow and rainfall pummeled the Himalayas https://t.co/3GqKyh4C3Y pic.twitter.com/SVBS5QmDWC

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 5, 2025

The snowstorm that hit the eastern slopes of Everest was highly unusual for October.

Typically, this month is known as the best time for climbing, with stable weather and clear skies, but this year's weather showed a significant anomaly that surprised many.

Heavy snowfall accompanied by thunder and lightning occurred at an average altitude of 4,200 meters to over 4,900 meters.

"It was so wet and cold - hypothermia was a real risk," Chen Geshuang, who was part of a trekking group who made it to Qudang, told Reuters.

"The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had ever encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams, including the Tibetan Blue Sky Rescue Team, immediately mobilized.

The Mount Everest snowstorm rescue process involves helicopters and snowmobiles.

Contact has also been established with more than 200 other stranded climbers.

Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams have been deployed to help clear snow blocking access to the area, according to an earlier report from the government-backed Jimu News.

Jimu estimates nearly 1,000 people are trapped.

The CCTV report did not mention whether local guides and support staff for the climbing group have been found.

It is also unclear whether climbers near Everest's north face—also in Tibet—were affected.

Snowstorms on Everest are nothing new, but the 2025 event highlights changing weather patterns.

One of the deadliest incidents was the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, which killed eight climbers after being trapped in a blizzard while descending from the summit.

The 1996 disaster was caused by a worsening snowstorm, which reduced visibility and buried fixed ropes.

This made the return route to Camp IV difficult.

Many climbers, including those from Adventure Consultants and Mountain Madness, were trapped at high altitude during the storm.

The rescue efforts at that time, such as that of Anatoli Boukreev, became a famous heroic tale.

This story is documented in acclaimed books such as "Into Thin Air."