Weather Strands Tourists on Mount Everest

Bad weather in Nepal has stopped flights and stranded around 2,000 people on the foothills of Mount Everest for the last five days, and it may not be letting up anytime soon. Last year, a similar situation kept people on stuck on the mountain for 15 days, and air traffic controllers report that the current predicament may not lift for several days either. Of those who are stranded, a large number are tourists, but others include hotel workers and guides who work at the many inns in the area; with the several of the highest peaks in the world, this region attracts a large amount of tourism, especially toward the end of the year. Guides have resorted to sleeping outside, people have been housed in dining rooms, and those higher up the mountain have been advised not to descend because of the lack of space. Food is also an issue, since no one is able to leave. A few helicopters managed to remove some tourists from the area earlier today, but these efforts have also been disrupted by the weather conditions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15589982

Maci Mitchell