More than 30 sick climbers have been evacuated from the base of Mount Everest with suspected Coronavirus in the last few weeks as reports increase of infections in Nepal. The spread of coronavirus to the world’s tallest mountain has raised fears that this year’s climbing season could be in jeopardy. Starved of tourism revenue, the Nepalese government is reluctant to cancel the climbing season, which usually runs from April to early June ahead of the monsoon rains.
The Chinese government is setting up a “line of separation” at the summit of the mountain to stop climbers from the popular Nepalese side mingling with those ascending from the Tibetan side.
How the line would work remains unclear, as the summit of Mount Everest is little bigger than a dining room table.
A group of 21 Chinese nationals are currently en route to the summit on the Tibetan side, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
Most major cities and towns in the Himalayan country between India and China are under lockdown and all domestic and international flights are grounded.
Mount Everest, as seen from the Tibetan side (photo by Luo Lei on Unsplash)
