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Hikers have described facing "extreme" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

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

Crowds of visitors had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period 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 elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, describing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had nearly covered the top," said another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the snow was heavy in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for easier hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online depicted tents buried in snow and lines of hikers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," state media reported.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates said. Media outlets stated that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected anyone on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a peak season for the area, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, one of 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

"The guide said he had never encountered conditions like this in October. And it occurred very abruptly."

The local tourism authority announced ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.