China reopens Mt Everest area in Tibet after January earthquake

Beijing: China on Saturday reopened the scenic area of Mt Everest, known as Mount Qomolangma, in the Tibet Autonomous Region after it was closed to the public following the January earthquake.

The area was closed on January 7 after a 6.8-magnitude quake struck Dingri, home to the northern base camp of the world's highest peak.

The quake claimed 126 lives and left 188 others injured.

The scenic area was closed on the same day for the safety of tourists and staff.

In the Tibetan language, Mount Everest is known as Mount Qomolangma which forms the part of the border between China and Nepal.

Both countries settled their border dispute in 1961 with the boundary line passing through the summit of Mount Everest.

The Mt Everest area had not been affected by the quake, with no obvious ice falls, avalanches or geological changes being observed, said Ma Weiqiang, director of Mount Qomolangma Atmosphere and Environment Comprehensive Observation and Research Station under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"This shows the scenic area has the safe conditions necessary for reopening," Ma told state-run Xinhua news agency.

To prepare for the reopening, the local government formed a joint inspection working group on January 22, which took 35 days to carry out comprehensive and meticulous inspections on important locations in the scenic area, he said.

"Only through comprehensive inspections could we ensure the safety of tourists when the scenic area reopened," said Pasang, a maintenance worker at the scenic area.

The local accommodation industry is also ready for the reopening. "All 35 rooms have been cleaned up and half of the rooms have already been booked," said Tsering Geden, a hotel owner in the county's Pasum Village.

Last year, the scenic area of the world’s tallest mountain received more than 547,600 domestic and overseas tourists -- an increase of 18 per cent year on year, including 13,700 overseas tourists, mainly from Singapore, Malaysia, Germany and France, earning $15.3 million in revenue, the Xinhua report said.