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Hikers have recounted facing "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

Officials in China reported that around 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

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

"It was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my trekking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the snow had almost covered the peak," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we discovered the storm was heavy in the valley as well; locals, unable to reach their children 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 draws high numbers of tourists for easier trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online depicted shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers moving through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail very slick. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," state media reported.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets stated that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected anyone on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the area, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, among 18 participants of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

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

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.