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Trekkers have described facing "harsh" situations after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped hundreds of people on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Officials in China stated that around 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, trapping numerous of individuals at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on social media, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had almost buried the top," said a hiker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the weather worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we discovered the snow was intense in the lowlands too; 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 Nepal side of the border and draws high numbers of visitors for easier trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet showed tents covered by snow and lines of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

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

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Media outlets reported that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had affected individuals on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is tightly controlled by the authorities, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

"The guide told us he had never encountered conditions like this 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 the weekend.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.