Rescue underway as nearly 1,000 trapped on Everest slopes

Rescue efforts are under way in the remote Tibetan slopes of Mount Everest where a snowstorm has trapped nearly 1,000 people in campsites on the eastern side of the mountain, according to Chinese state media. Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams have been deployed to clear out snow blocking access to the area which sits at an altitude of more than 4,900 metres (16,000 feet). According to local media about 350 people have been rescued and guided to safety to the small township of Qudang town, the Reuters news agency said. Heavy snowfall began on Friday evening and has intensified on the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet, which is an area popular with climbers and hikers. "It...