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Trekkers have recounted encountering "extreme" conditions after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded numerous of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that approximately 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of individuals at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had almost buried the top," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China mentioned their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to clear it hourly. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was heavy in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the Nepal side of the border and draws high numbers of visitors for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage shared on the internet showed tents covered by snow and lines of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the trail very slick. Hikers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Local news reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out.

There was minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The weather also seemed to have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

October is a peak season for the region, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had not experienced such weather in October. And it happened very abruptly."

The local tourism authority said admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.