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Hikers have recounted facing "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 350 individuals 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 visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had hit the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of people at tent sites 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 adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, detailing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had almost buried the top," shared a hiker on a social platform. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was intense in the valley too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online showed tents buried in snow and lines of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, approximately 350 people 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 remained trapped but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets stated that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the operation on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is tightly controlled by the authorities, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the area, with usually clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants 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 the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.