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Trekkers have recounted encountering "extreme" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Chinese authorities reported that around 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had hit the area on the weekend, trapping numerous of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, detailing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the accumulation had almost covered the top," shared a hiker on a social platform. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it hourly. They decided to go down on the next day as the weather worsened.

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

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of visitors for easier trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet depicted shelters covered by snow and rows of hikers walking through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path very slick. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the reports said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from obstructing the way out.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the authorities, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but one trekker, among 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

"The guide told us he had never encountered such weather in October. And it occurred all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.