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Trekkers have recounted facing "harsh" situations after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that around 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded 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 area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected 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 harshest weather I've ever faced in all my hiking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, detailing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had almost covered the top," said a hiker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China mentioned their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather worsened.

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for less technical trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage shared on the internet showed shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," state media reported.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also seemed to have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. Several trekkers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual."

"Our leader said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.