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Trekkers have described encountering "harsh" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Officials in China stated that around 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 week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of individuals at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had almost buried the top," shared a hiker on a social platform. "That was the first time I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was heavy in the valley too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of visitors for easier trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage posted online depicted shelters covered by snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources announced.

At least 200 additional remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports said. Local news stated that hundreds of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

There was little official reporting or new details about the operation on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the storm had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is tightly controlled by the authorities, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have disrupted local communications, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the region, with usually clear and mild conditions, but one trekker, among 18 participants of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

"The guide told us he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred very abruptly."

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

Broader Effects

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