High in the “death zone” of Mount Everest, a punishing blizzard trapped about 900 hikers and guides on the mountain, with dwindling oxygen, supplies, and time.
Mount Everest is known as the tallest mountain in the world, at an intimidating 29,032 feet. Tucked into the Northeastern side of Nepal, right before the Southern Chinese border, tourists from all over the world come to experience and even climb the mountain themselves. As climbers continue their trek up the mountain, the air quality begins to thin and the temperatures drop. Along with the reputation of being the tallest mountain comes with also being one of the most dangerous. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, many hikers die along the trail due to the challenging conditions, and bodies are known to be left as trailmarkers. Most deaths occur above 26,000 ft, an area known as the “death zone.” This appalling zone of the mountain was where around 900 hikers were trapped due to unforgiving weather conditions.
The first week of October is a special one for Chinese citizens. According to the New York Post, it is the Golden Week Holiday, a time of chaos and celebration for many. As a result, many chose to spend their time trekking up Mount Everest. On October 3rd, the mountain was hit with an unexpected blizzard, throwing heavy snow and rain at the hikers. This weather caused them to be trapped. Issac Wang, a 33 year old from Shanghai was one of the many hikers stranded. His group was more than three miles above sea level when the snow began. In an interview with Wang, he stated, “On the night of October 4th, the weather got out of control, the snow was so heavy, we had to get up every hour to shovel snow off our tents. The lightning was bright red, the thunder was a long deep rumbling. I’ve never seen or heard anything like that, absolutely terrifying.”
According to the New York Post, 350 people were able to descend by Monday and the rest were brought to safety by Tuesday night. Dozens of rescued hikers are now battling with hypothermia. This condition is known as a medical emergency, with the human body temperature dropping below 95 degrees fahrenheit. According to the Mayo Clinic, the body loses heat faster than it can produce heat. Quoted in the article from the Mayo Clinic, “Left untreated, hypothermia can cause the heart and respiratory system to fail and eventually can lead to death.” Any rescued hiker who was flagged with this condition were quickly transported off to a rescue point where they were greeted with heating, medicine, food and oxygen supplies prepared by rescue teams. “In total about 580 hikers, in addition to more than 300 guides, yak herders and other workers who were stranded, have all reached safety,” China’s state news agency Xinhua reported.
