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Hikers have recounted encountering "extreme" situations after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

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 eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping hundreds of individuals at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've ever faced in all my trekking adventures, without question," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, detailing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and saw that the accumulation had almost covered the peak," said another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, forcing them to clear it hourly. They chose to descend on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the snow was heavy in the lowlands too; locals, 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 neighboring side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for easier hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online showed shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the trail very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by yaks," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

No fewer than 200 additional remained trapped but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets stated that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

There was little official reporting or new details about the operation on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the storm had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also appears to have have disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. Several trekkers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the region, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

"Our leader said he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it happened very abruptly."

The regional travel department announced admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.