As of 8 am on Monday, a total of 137 stranded trekkers have been safely evacuated with stable vital signs, while one unfortunately died from hypothermia and altitude sickness, after a sudden snowstorm reportedly hit the eastern slope base camp of Mount Qomolangma, CCTV News reported on Monday. 

The police in Menyuan County, Northwest China's Qinghai Province on Sunday received a report that several hikers were trapped after trekking from Zhangye in neighboring Gansu Province into the Laohugou area of Menyuan. Following the report, multiple departments including public security and emergency response teams launched rescue operations.

The Laohugou area of Menyuan County sits at an average altitude of over 4,000 meters, with complex terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions. Continuous snowfall has made search and rescue operations particularly difficult.

According to those who have already been rescued, additional hikers entered the area between Thursday and Saturday. So far, the local authorities inHaibei Prefecture of Qinghai has deployed more than 300 personnel and two medium-sized drones to carry out grid searches across the region.

Local media in Tingri county of Xizang reported on Sunday that 350 trekkers affected by the snowfall had been safely evacuated to a township rescue point. All were confirmed to be in good condition and have been provided with proper accommodation. The remaining 200-plus trekkers have all been contacted and, under the guidance and assistance of county authorities, are expected to reach the rendezvous point in stages.

On Saturday, the eastern slope of Mount Qomolangma was struck by the strongest blizzard seen during the National Day holidays in recent years, with visibility dropping to less than one meter, and key routes buried under heavy snow, media reports said.

Starting at 5:50 pm on Saturday, the Qomolangma scenic area was closed and ticket sales were suspended. Roads leading to the area were covered with snow and ice, making them impassable for vehicles.