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Trekkers have recounted facing "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Officials in China stated that around 350 people had made their way down 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.

Large groups of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, stranding hundreds of people at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had almost covered the peak," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the first time I truly felt the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on the next day as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was intense in the valley as well; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

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

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet showed tents covered by snow and rows of hikers walking through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail very slick. Hikers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," said one, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the reports indicated. Media outlets stated that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

There was minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the region, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

"The guide said he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred all too suddenly."

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

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in the neighboring country.