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Trekkers have recounted encountering "harsh" situations after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China reported that around 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had traveled 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 individuals at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, describing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and saw that the accumulation had nearly covered the top," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was intense in the valley too; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage posted online depicted tents covered by snow and lines of trekkers moving through deep drifts to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail very slick. Hikers often slipped – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the way out.

There was minimal updates or new details about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The weather also appears to have have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"Our leader told us he had not experienced such weather in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.