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Hikers have described facing "extreme" situations after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Officials in China stated that around 350 people had descended safely 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.

Large groups of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping hundreds of people at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker said on social media, detailing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the accumulation had nearly covered the top," shared another trekker on a social platform. "That was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on the next day as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the storm was heavy in the valley too; locals, unable to contact their family 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 high numbers of visitors for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

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

"The snow was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Hikers often slipped – some fell, others were bumped by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Media outlets reported that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted anyone on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also appears to have have disrupted local communications, with calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "not normal."

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

The local tourism authority announced admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.