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

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Officials in China reported that approximately 350 people had made their way down 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 visitors had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on the weekend, trapping numerous of people at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, describing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had almost covered the top," said another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it hourly. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather worsened.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was heavy in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for easier trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage shared on the internet showed shelters buried in snow and lines of trekkers moving through deep drifts to get down the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the path extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

No fewer than 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Media outlets stated that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

There was little official reporting or new details about the operation on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted individuals on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also seemed to have disrupted phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

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

The regional travel department announced ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.