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Hikers have recounted encountering "harsh" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends stranded numerous of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding numerous of individuals at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, detailing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

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

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it hourly. They chose to go down on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we discovered the snow was intense 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 easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet showed shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers moving through deep drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Hikers often slipped – a few tumbled, others were bumped by yaks," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, approximately 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Local news reported that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the exit route.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The conditions also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

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

"The guide told us he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were affected as well by extreme weather. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.