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Trekkers have recounted facing "extreme" situations after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that around 350 individuals 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 journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding numerous of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, detailing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the snow had almost buried the top," said another trekker on a social platform. "That was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was intense in the valley as well; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for easier trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video posted online depicted tents buried in snow and rows of hikers moving through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail very slick. Hikers often slipped – 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 Sunday afternoon, about 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," state media announced.

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

There was minimal updates or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had impacted anyone on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and journalistic access is limited. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses failing. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the region, with typically clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

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

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

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.