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Trekkers have described facing "harsh" situations after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China reported that approximately 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had affected the area on the weekend, trapping numerous of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective blizzard 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 another trekker on a social platform. "It was the first time I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the snow was intense in the valley too; villagers, unable to contact 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 easier hiking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet showed shelters covered by snow and lines of trekkers moving through deep drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the reports said. Media outlets stated that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

There was minimal updates or updated information about the operation on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The weather also appears to have have disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a peak season for the area, with usually clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

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

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.