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Trekkers have recounted encountering "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall 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).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, detailing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had almost buried the top," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we discovered the snow was intense in the valley too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and draws high numbers of visitors for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted tents covered by snow and lines of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

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

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the reports indicated. Media outlets stated that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The conditions also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but one trekker, among 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

"The guide told us he had not experienced such weather in October. 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

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.