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Hikers have recounted facing "extreme" conditions after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Officials in China stated that approximately 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 Tibet side of the border.

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

"This was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the snow had almost covered the peak," said another trekker on a social platform. "That was the initial instance I truly felt the fear of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was intense in the valley as well; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for easier trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted shelters covered by snow and lines of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, approximately 350 people had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Local news reported that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is tightly controlled by the authorities, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with usually clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had never encountered conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.