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Hikers have described facing "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that approximately 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds 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, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of individuals at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, 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 almost buried the top," shared a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on the next day as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the storm was heavy in the valley as well; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of visitors for less technical hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online showed shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers moving through deep drifts to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

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

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the updates said. Local news reported that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted anyone on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The conditions also appears to have have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers said power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the weather 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 regional travel department said ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.