More than 500 tourists stranded in freezing temperatures near the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet have been evacuated, according to Chinese state media.

Hikers flocked to China's rugged interior hoping to catch a glimpse of Everest's eastern side as the eight-day "Golden Week" holiday period began on October 1, but a sudden blizzard at the weekend caught them off-guard.

On Sunday rescuers guided about 350 stranded hikers to safety.

Xinhua News Agency has reported that by the end of Tuesday, 580 trekkers and 300 locals and support staff had safely reached the Tibetan town of Qudang.

The agency also reported that a final group of about 12 trekkers reached designated rendezvous points with help from rescue teams that provided food, medicine, heating and oxygen equipment and warm cl

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