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Trekkers have recounted encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Chinese authorities reported that approximately 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of individuals at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on social media, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the snow had nearly covered the peak," said a hiker on a social platform. "That was the initial instance I truly felt the fear of being engulfed by snow."

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 tents, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was heavy in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the neighboring side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for less technical hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet depicted shelters buried in snow and rows of trekkers walking through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources reported.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports said. Local news stated that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or new details about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area 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 said power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the area, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but one trekker, among 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.