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Hikers have described facing "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Chinese authorities reported that approximately 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of people at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the accumulation had almost buried the top," said another trekker on a social platform. "It was the first time I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, forcing 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 parent who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the snow was heavy in the valley as well; locals, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of visitors for easier trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online depicted shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers moving through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

No fewer than 200 additional remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Media outlets stated that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is tightly controlled by the authorities, and journalistic access is restricted. The weather also seemed to have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred very abruptly."

The regional travel department announced ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.