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Hikers have described encountering "harsh" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods trapped hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Officials in China stated that around 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of visitors had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had affected the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the snow had nearly buried the top," shared a hiker on a social platform. "It was the first time I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to go down on the next day as the weather worsened.

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the storm was intense in the valley too; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

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 tourists for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online depicted shelters buried in snow and rows of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers often slipped – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

No fewer than 200 more remained trapped but had been reached, the updates indicated. Local news reported that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the rescue effort on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with usually clear and mild conditions, but one trekker, among 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.