Hundreds of trekkers on Tibetan side of Mount Everest rescued

Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a blizzard near the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet had been guided to safety by rescuers, Chinese state media reported on Sunday, as unusually heavy precipitation including rain pummelled the Himalayas. As of Sunday, 350 trekkers had reached the small township of Qudang, while contact with the remaining 200-plus trekkers had been made, China Central Television (CCTV) reported. 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. Snowfall in the valley, which lies at an elevation averaging 4,200 metres (13,779 feet), began on Friday evening and persisted throughout Saturday. The...