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Trekkers have recounted encountering "harsh" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking 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 Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said 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 harshest weather I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, describing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the snow had nearly buried the peak," shared a hiker on a social platform. "That was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it hourly. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the snow was heavy in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for easier trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video posted online showed tents covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the path very slick. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who clarified that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports said. Local news reported that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

"Our leader said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours caused mudslides 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.