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Trekkers have described encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of people at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, describing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had almost buried the peak," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it hourly. They chose to go down on the next day as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the snow was heavy in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for easier trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet showed tents covered by snow and rows of trekkers walking through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail very slick. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

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

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Media outlets reported that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

There was minimal updates or new details 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 region is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also appears to have have disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

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

"The guide said he had not experienced such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit 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.