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

Rescue Operations Underway

Officials in China reported that around 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my trekking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, detailing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had nearly covered the peak," said another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than locations on the neighboring side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for less technical hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet showed tents buried in snow and rows of hikers walking through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

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

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Local news reported that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on the following day. It was also not clear if the weather had impacted individuals on the northern side 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 affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers said power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with usually clear and mild weather, but one trekker, among 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "unusual."

"The guide told us he had never encountered such weather in October. And it occurred all too suddenly."

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

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit 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 Nepal.