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Hikers have described facing "extreme" situations after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Officials in China stated that around 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 Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, stranding hundreds of individuals at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme weather I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, describing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the accumulation had almost buried the top," said another trekker on a social platform. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China said their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on the next day as the weather worsened.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the storm was intense in the valley as well; locals, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet showed shelters buried in snow and lines of trekkers walking through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, approximately 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," state media announced.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates said. Media outlets stated that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from blocking the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted individuals on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The weather also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the area, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, 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 told us he had never encountered conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred all too suddenly."

The local tourism authority said ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.