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Hikers have recounted encountering "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive 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, situated to the eastern side 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 administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow 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 most extreme weather I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, without question," a Chinese trekker said on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had almost buried the top," shared a hiker on a social platform. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China mentioned their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. It was then we discovered the storm was intense in the lowlands too; locals, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

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

Visual Evidence

Photos and video posted online depicted shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through deep drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation 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 tightly controlled by the authorities, and media entry is limited. 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 reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the area, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

"Our leader told us he had not experienced such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

The local tourism authority said admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered landslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.