ANKARA 

Nearly 1,000 people were stranded on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest after a sudden blizzard blocked access roads and collapsed tents over the weekend, Chinese state media reported Sunday.

Local authorities launched a large-scale rescue effort, sending hundreds of villagers and emergency workers to clear heavy snow at an altitude above 4,900 meters (16,000 feet), according to Shanghai Daily.

Officials said some campers showed signs of hypothermia after the storm, which began Friday evening and continued through Saturday, dumping deep snow across the area.