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Hikers have described encountering "harsh" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Officials in China reported that around 350 people 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.

Crowds of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day 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 tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme weather I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on social media, detailing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the snow had nearly buried the peak," said another trekker on a social platform. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced 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 rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it hourly. They chose to descend on Sunday as the weather worsened.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and draws high numbers of visitors for easier trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online depicted tents buried in snow and rows of hikers walking through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Media outlets stated that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on the following day. 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 disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the area, with typically clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "not normal."

"Our leader told us he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in the neighboring country.