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Hikers have described facing "extreme" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

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

Crowds of tourists had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had hit the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of people at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest weather I've ever faced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had almost covered the peak," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I truly felt the fear of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it hourly. They chose to descend on the next day 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 lowlands as well; 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 neighboring side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for easier trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted shelters buried in snow and lines of trekkers walking through deep drifts to descend the mountain.

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

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

No fewer than 200 additional remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports said. Media outlets stated that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had affected anyone on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

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

"Our leader told us he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it occurred all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.