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Hikers have recounted facing "harsh" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

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

"It was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, describing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the snow had nearly buried the top," shared another trekker on a social platform. "That was the first time I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we learned the snow was heavy in the valley as well; 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 neighboring side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online depicted tents buried in snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the reports indicated. Local news reported that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the exit route.

There was minimal updates or updated information about the operation on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the storm had impacted anyone on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is tightly controlled by the authorities, and journalistic access is limited. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted local communications, with calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a busy period for the region, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, among 18 participants of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual."

"Our leader said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it occurred all too suddenly."

The regional travel department announced admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused landslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.