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Hikers have recounted encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that approximately 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 visitors had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, without question," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the accumulation had almost covered the peak," said another trekker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the valley too; villagers, unable to reach 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 draws large crowds of visitors for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online depicted shelters buried in snow and lines of trekkers walking through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the reports said. Local news stated that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have disrupted local communications, with calls to local businesses failing. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a busy period for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

The regional travel department announced admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.