China also plans to focus on removi­ng the bodies of mounta­ineers above 8,000 meters­BEIJING: China has banned tourists from accessing its Mount Everest base camp in Tibet amid an ongoing campaign to clean up trash in the mountainous region, said state media Friday. The ban applies to “ordinary tourists”, not those with climbing permits, reported official news agency Xinhua. A new camp for visitors will be set up about two kilometres from the original one, reported Xinhua. The Everest region, part of which belongs to neighbouring Nepal, has seen a growing number of tourists and mountaineers in recent years. In addition to its ban, China also plans to focus on removing the bodies of mountaineers above 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) and will limit the number of people at its base camp to under 300.

Source: The Express Tribune February 15, 2019 14:37 UTC