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Trekkers have recounted facing "harsh" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

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

Crowds of visitors had traveled 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 numerous of people at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, describing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the accumulation had almost buried the top," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it hourly. They decided to go down on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the lowlands too; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than locations on the Nepal side of the border and draws large crowds of tourists for less technical hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video posted online showed tents covered by snow and rows of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by yaks," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the updates said. Local news stated that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out.

There was little official reporting or new details about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted anyone on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers said power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with typically clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

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

The local tourism authority announced ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from Saturday.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.