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Hikers have recounted encountering "extreme" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China reported that approximately 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my trekking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker said on social media, describing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" 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 terror of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it hourly. They decided to go down on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the snow was heavy in the valley too; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video posted online showed tents covered by snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the path very slick. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who clarified that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the updates said. Local news stated that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The conditions also seemed to have affected phone services, with calls to local businesses failing. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the region, with usually clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide said he had not experienced such weather in October. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.