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Trekkers have recounted facing "extreme" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that approximately 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping hundreds of people at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme weather I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, detailing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the accumulation had almost buried the top," shared another trekker on a social platform. "That was the initial instance I truly felt the fear of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to remove it hourly. They chose to go down on the next day as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the snow was intense in the valley too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online depicted shelters covered by snow and rows of hikers moving through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

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

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," state media announced.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from obstructing the exit route.

There was minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted anyone on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the region, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, among 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"Our leader said he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it occurred all too suddenly."

The local tourism authority announced admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered landslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.