A Great Rescue in a Snowstorm on MtQomolangma.docx

A Great Rescue in a Snowstorm on MtQomolangma.docx

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AGreatRescueinaSnowstormonMtQomolangma

AGreatRescueinaSnowstormonMt.Qomolangma

　　OnOct.11th，2013，theNationalMeteorologicalCenterreleasednewsconcerningthesupercyclonicstormFehlingthatwascomingfromtheBayofBengal.Thenewssaidthatduringthefollowingtwodays（the14thand15th）Fehlingwouldbringaboutheavysnow，evensnowstormsinSouthwestTibet.However，atthattime，intheMt.Qomolangmabasecamp，alotoftouristswaitedtohaveaglimpseofMt.Qomolangma.

　　AlsoonOct.11th，organizedbyTibetLungdaInternationalTravelService，atourwasheadingforKarmaValley.Thetouringpartywasmadeupoftenpeople，includingKennethDeanHigginsandhiswifefromAustralia，anothercoupleofexplorationfans，andthreelocalyakportersfromtheVillageofQudeng.Theworkmencameleadingtheiryakstocarryluggagefortravelers.

　　OnOct.11th，TibetHolyLandInternationalTravelServiceandanotherfivetravelersfromNewZealandsetoutfromtheVillageofYupa，Qudeng，andwalkedtotheeastslopeofMt.Qomolangma.Then，theywouldturnintoKarmaValleyandstarttheirexpeditionintotheancientland.Theircompanionsincludedaguide，fourNepalesehighelevationguides，andthreeyakporters.TheyhadplannedtofinishtheirtravelintendaysbyOct.21st.

　　RescueintheLhundrupVillage

　　OnOct.12th，itbegantosnowwithsnowflakesdriftinginthesky.InShigatsePrefecture，thewholelinefromWesttoEast：

Drongpa，Dinggye，Gyirong，Tingri，Kamba，YadongandPhari，wereallcoveredbywhitesnow.ThemountainsaroundShigatsehadputonwhitehatsaswell.Inayakherder’stentintheMt.Qomolangmabasecamp，ZhouHongyue，atouristfromTianjin，toldherselfthattheweatherisvariablehere：

itblowsatonemoment，andsnowsthenext.Hercompanionsthoughtthesameandbelievedthatitmightstopsnowingandturnfinethenextday.However，outsidethetentthesnowkeptfalling.Everynowandthen，thetentownerputdrieddungintothestoveandservedhisguestshotwaterandbuttertea.AboutfortyTibetanTashiDzongvillagershadsetupthetents.Now，inthe58tents，86travelersweresheltering.

　　OnOct.13th，thesnowonthegroundwasasthickas30centimeters.Touristsintheyaktentswereunwillingtogooutside.Duetothebadweather，thebasestation，usingsolarpowerformobilecommunicationhadbeenoutofservice.Everyonefeltalittlefidgety.Nonetheless，therewerestill68travelersstuckinthefamilyhoteloftheRongpoMonasteryandtheRongpoHotel.

　　OnOct.13th，accordingtotheirtravelspeed，thefivetouristsfromNewZealandmustsurelyhavebeenwithinrangeofKarmaValley.However，noonecouldgettouchwiththetouringpartybecausetherewasnosignalfromtheirmobilephones，andduetothebadweather，satellitephoneswereoutofserviceaswell.

　　AlsoonOct.13th，thepartyofKennethDeanHigginswasmarchingalongtheirwayandhardlyonMt.Ramallahinthewindandsnow.HavingclimbedoverthepassofMt.Ramallah，theyfoundaleewardplaceatthefootofthemountainandputuptentsforarest.Thewindroaredwildlyaroundthevalleyandthenoisecoveredallsoundsoffootstepsinthesnow.Aftermidnight，asenoughsnowwasfallingtoburyacamelonMt.Ramallah.Enoughsnowpoureddownandburiedthenearesttenttothemountainfirst，thetentofthethreeyakowners.Asnowavalanche，withastrongblastbehindit，pushedtheotherfourtourists，oneguide，andtwochefsquitefarawayandmoreorlessburiedthem.Theformercampdisappearedinaninstant.

　　Atnight，intheVillageofLhundrup，villagersandsecurityguardsheardtheloudroaringofthesnowslideandhurriedtotheaccidentspottorescueandexcavatethetrappedpeople.Atthesametime，theysentaspecialenvoytothegovernmentoftheTownshipVillageofQudengtoreportthesituation.Soon，thechefs，aguideandthreetouristswerefoundonebyoneandplacedinthevillagers’houses.But，foralongtime，theyfailedtofindKennethDeanHigginsandthethreeyakworkers.Afterdozensofvillagers’workedunremittingly，KennethDeanHigginswasfoundatlast.But，affectedwithaltitudestressandhavingbeenburiedfortoolong，the60-year-oldHigginsappearedveryweak.WiththehelpofTibetanvillagers，hiswifefedKennethDeanHigginssomewarmwaterandbuttertea.“Then，Isawhimrecoveringlittlebylittle，butanyway，hestillleftme20minuteslater，”hiswiferecalledthescenewithabroken-heart.

　　Thesearchandrescueorganizedbythecommonpeoplecontinued.Howeverwhenthethreeyakworkerswerefound，theyhaddiedunfortunately.

　　RescueattheMt.QomolangmaBaseCamp

　　OnOct.14th，beforedawn，newscametothegovernmentandthecountypartycommitteeofTingrithatsometouristsweretrappedoneithersideoftheMt.QomolangmabasecampandKarmaValley.Immediately，thecountypartycommitteecalledonanurgentmeetingandlaidouttherescuetask.　　Inthemeeting，itwasdecidedthattherescuewouldbelaunchedontwoseparateroutes：

oneteamwouldgotothesideoftheMt.Qomolangmabasecamp，theotherwouldgotoQudengandsavethetravelersdetainedinKarmaValley.

　　Ateamofover40people，threeloaders，oneexcavatorandonetruckstruggleduptotheMt.Qomolangmabasecamp.Thesnowhadbeenthickerthan50centimetersthen（insomesectionevenmorethan60centimeters）.Thesnowflakes，drivenbythewind，driftedanddancedallaround.Visibilitywaslowandroadaccesswasdifficult.Toimprovetheirspeed，theexcavatoronlydugtwonarrowchannelsatthewidthofthevehiclestolettheirwheelskeepmoving.

　　At3：

00pmofOct.14th，havingadvancedbyremovingallsnowalongtheway，therescueteamheadedfortheMt.Qomolangmabasecamp，arrivingattheVillageofQudzong，20kilometersawayfromtheRongpoMonastery.Thisplacewasthemostdifficultforvehiclestoaccessbecausethedeepestsnowcoveredtheroad.Itwaseventhickerthanonemeter.Ataturningontheroadwheretheexcavatorhadclearedthesnow，theteamfoundsomecarsalmostconcealedbythesnow.Assistedbytheexcavator，theteammembersapproachedthecarsquicklybydiggingandshovelingwithhandsandspades.Alltrappedpersonswerepulledoutofthecars.Then，therescuerswentonclearingthesnowawayfromtheroad，andfinallydugouteighttouristsandtwocarsin45minutes.TheywerethefirstgroupsavedbytheteamonthewaytotheMt.Qomolangmabasecamp.Accordingtothesurvivors，theywerestuckbecausetheircar’ssuspensionwasbroken.“Thankyou，wepassedhereaswewentdownthemountainandwerestuckforafewhoursunexpectedly.Butatsuchacriticalmoment，youcomesosoon，thanksalot！

”Therescuedtouristcouldn’thelpexpressingtheirappreciationfromthebottomofhearts.

　　At8：

00pm，astheexcavatorandloaderrumbledonandreachedtheMonasteryofRongpo.Peoplewhohadbeendetainedherewentoutandshookthehandsoftheteammembers.Theysaidexcitedly，“ThankstothegovernmentoftheTingriCounty，thanksforcomingandsavingus.”Sometouristsalsoexpressedtheirfeelingsinforeignlanguages：

“Thankyou！

ThankstotheChineseGovernment！

”Then，themedicalstaffstartedgivingphysicalexaminationsforthetourists，andofferinghelpandmedicineforthoseinneed.　　Havingassuredtherescuers’safetyandthatthedetainedtouristsinandaroundtheMonasteryofRongpowerephysicallysound，theteamcontinuedwaytotheMt.Qomolangmabasecamp.Thoughonesitewasonlyabouttwokilometersawayfromtheother，everyonefeltmuchconcernsinhearts.Atlast，at8：

50pm，theysuccessfullyarrivedandfoundthe86touristsbesiegedinthecamp.

　　Itwentonsnowing.Theformerroadbywhichtheycamewascoveredwithsnowagain.Morethanthat，thestuckvehicleswerelyinginvariousdifficultconditions.Itwouldbeverydangerousiftheywentdownthemountainatnight，sotherescuersdecidedthatallthe86touristsandvehiclesintheMt.QomolangmabasecampwouldbemoveddownhillandaccommodatedintheHotelofRongpo，transferreddownthemountainthenextmorning.

　　Untiloneo’clockinthemorningofOct.15th，alltouristswhohadbeenstuckintheMt.Qomolangmabasecampweresettleddown.Toassurefoodsupplyforthedetained，therescueteamdecidedtogatherallthegrainreservedforpeoplestationedintheMonasteryofRongpo，andgoodsandmaterialsinthefamilyhotelsofRongpoandtheHotelofRongpoweredistributedequallyinaunifiedway.What’smore，thegoodsbroughtbytheteam，including80casesofconvenientnoodles，50casesofpotablewater，100sacksofrice，50sacksofflour，100sacksofTsambaand70emergencybedswereallputtouse.“Seeingthetouristsholdinghotfood，werelaxedalittle，”saidTsetop，theViceCountyMagistrate.

　　Thefrowns，whichhadhungonthebrowsoftouristswhentheywereheldup，nowfadedaway.Instead，peoplecheeredup，talkedandlaughed.Adayofanxietyandwearinesswasreleasedandturnedintostrongdrowsiness.Everyonesoonwenttosleep.

　　At5：

00amonOct.15th，twoSUVssetoutfromtheCountyofTingri，drivingfortheHotelofRongpotoreceivethewalkingtravelers.At10：

00am，theSUVsreturnedbacktotheTownshipVillageofTashiDzong.Thefallensnowreachedto45centimetersthickagain.Toassureeveryonewassafeastheywentdownthemountain，theheadofficesetupthreegroups：

respectivelyresponsibleforrescuing，settlementandtransferring.Thefirstgroupwouldsurveytheroadtoassureitwaspassable.Vansingoodconditionwouldfollowthefirstgroup.Thesecondmovedtoandfrointhemiddleofthecaravan，beingmainlyresponsibleforguidingandcoordinatingin