LHASA - Rescuers have evacuated the 86 tourists from a base camp on Mount Qomolangma and a nearby monastery where they had been stranded amid heavy snow on Monday, local authorities said.

The government of Tibet autonomous region said 78 tourists who had been stranded at the camp were moved to a nearby hotel and were all safe. As of 5 pm, eight people had left Rongbuk, a 5,100-meter-high monastery where they had been stranded.

The tourists included 13 foreigners, including Australian and Dutch citizens, the government said.

The tourists were about to go downhill after sightseeing at Qomolangma base camp when a snowstorm blocked the roads. The local government said they had mobilized more than 40 rescuers and machinery to clear the way.