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Hikers have recounted facing "extreme" conditions after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Officials in China reported that around 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had affected the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of people at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the snow had almost covered the top," shared a hiker on a social platform. "It was the first time I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it hourly. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather worsened.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the snow was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet depicted tents covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail very slick. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," state media reported.

At least 200 additional remained trapped but had been reached, the reports indicated. Local news reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected individuals on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

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

The local tourism authority announced admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.