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Hikers have recounted facing "harsh" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded numerous of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme weather I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, without question," Dong Shuchang said on social media, describing a "violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the snow had nearly buried the peak," said a hiker on a social platform. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as snow rapidly built up around their shelters, forcing them to remove it hourly. They chose to descend on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we discovered the snow was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than locations on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for easier hiking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet showed tents buried in snow and lines of hikers moving through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, approximately 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

At least 200 additional remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from obstructing the exit route.

There was minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had impacted individuals on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also seemed to 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

Autumn is a busy period for the region, with typically clear and mild weather, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had not experienced such weather in the fall. And it occurred very abruptly."

The regional travel department announced ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused landslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.