Massive rescue effort underway after blizzard traps hundreds near Mount Everest

A massive rescue operation is underway on the eastern slope of Mount Everest after a powerful blizzard left nearly 1,000 hikers stranded in Tibet

(NBC)- A massive rescue operation is underway on the eastern slope of Mount Everest after a powerful blizzard left nearly 1,000 hikers stranded in Tibet, according to Chinese state media.

Rescue crews and local villagers are battling freezing temperatures, deep snow, and washed-out roads to reach those still trapped — many at altitudes around 16,000 feet. Some hikers have already been rescued, but others remain isolated amid the harsh conditions.

Mountaineer and Everest coach Alan Arnette said, “It’s going to be a massive human effort to reach those people who may be stranded because a bridge or village was washed out, or a landslide happened.”

Hiker Chen Geshuang managed to escape but said others in her group are recovering from hypothermia. She described the storm as “frightening,” adding that she feared lightning might strike their camp.

The unexpected monsoon storm brought heavy snow and rain Friday and Saturday, triggering landslides and flash floods that have killed at least 44 people in neighboring Nepal, where the army has joined rescue efforts.

Arnette noted, “We normally don’t see a disaster of this scale this time of year — especially a blizzard of this magnitude.”

Rescuers continue to race against time as weather conditions remain volatile near the world’s tallest mountain.