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Trekkers have described facing "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Officials in China stated that around 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding numerous of people at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the accumulation had nearly covered the peak," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the first time I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China said their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, forcing them to clear it hourly. They chose to go down on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, 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 neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video posted online showed shelters buried in snow and rows of hikers moving through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the path very slick. Hikers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," said one, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources reported.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the reports said. Local news reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the way out.

There was minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected anyone on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also seemed to have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

"Our leader said he had not experienced such weather in October. And it occurred all too suddenly."

The regional travel department announced ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend.

Broader Effects

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