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Trekkers have recounted encountering "harsh" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that approximately 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.

Crowds of visitors had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had hit the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've ever faced in all my trekking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, detailing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had nearly buried the top," said another trekker on a social platform. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the snow was heavy in the valley as well; locals, 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 draws high numbers of visitors for easier trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage shared on the internet depicted shelters buried in snow and rows of hikers walking through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the trail very slick. Hikers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources reported.

No fewer than 200 additional remained trapped but had been reached, the updates indicated. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on the following day. It was also not clear if the weather had affected individuals on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The conditions also seemed to have affected phone services, with calls to local businesses failing. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

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

"Our leader told us 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

Adjacent nations were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.