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Hikers have described facing "extreme" situations after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest holiday weekends stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that around 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected 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 adventures, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, describing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the snow had almost buried the peak," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on the next day as the weather worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was heavy in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of tourists for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online depicted tents buried in snow and lines of trekkers walking through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers often slipped – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 more remained trapped but had been reached, the reports indicated. Local news reported that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

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 strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The conditions also seemed to have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. Several trekkers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a peak season for the area, with typically clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual."

"Our leader told us he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it occurred very abruptly."

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

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused landslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.