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Hikers have recounted encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped 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, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, stranding hundreds of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, describing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had nearly buried the peak," shared a hiker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we discovered the snow was heavy in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of tourists for easier trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet showed tents covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through deep drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Media outlets stated that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from obstructing the exit route.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The conditions also appears to have have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

October is a peak season for the area, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

"The guide told us he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

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