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Trekkers have described facing "harsh" situations after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China reported that approximately 350 people had descended safely 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.

Crowds of visitors had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of individuals at tent sites 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, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the accumulation had nearly buried the peak," shared another trekker on a social platform. "It was the first time I truly felt the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on the next day as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the snow was intense in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and draws large crowds of tourists for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage posted online depicted tents buried in snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

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

No fewer than 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Media outlets stated that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with typically clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"Our leader said he had not experienced such weather in the fall. And it occurred all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.