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Hikers have recounted encountering "harsh" situations after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

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

Large groups of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of individuals at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, describing a "violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the snow had almost covered the top," said a hiker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to descend on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands too; locals, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and draws high numbers of tourists for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online showed shelters covered by snow and lines of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the path very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Local news reported that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses failing. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly."

The regional travel department said admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours triggered landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.