Everest sealed off as rescue chopper crashes

ByEnigma 808

Heavy snowfall forced authorities to close Mount Everest tourism routes on both Nepali and Chinese sides on Wednesday as Cyclone Montha brought unseasonable winter conditions to the Himalayas. A rescue helicopter crashed in deep snow near Lobuche while attempting to reach stranded trekkers, though the pilot survived the landing accident.

Nepal suspended hiking permits for the Annapurna, Manaslu and Dhaulagiri regions as rain fell at lower altitudes and blizzards struck higher elevations. The Tibetan tourism department halted ticket sales on Tuesday afternoon after icy roads and poor visibility made vehicle passage across the mountain passes impossible.

Weather services predicted additional precipitation through Friday as the cyclone moved inland from the Bay of Bengal after making landfall in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday night. More than 50 people died from floods and landslides caused by the storm system in Nepal.

Temperatures in Tingri county were forecast to drop further below freezing this week. Officials rescued hundreds of trekkers from the eastern face in early October after a separate blizzard trapped hikers for several days under subzero conditions.

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    Besides writing and being a content creator, Enigma 808 sometimes likes to watch paint dry on walls, listening to ASMR while timing snails racing. Such is life.