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Hikers have described facing "extreme" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that approximately 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had nearly covered the peak," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on the next day as the weather worsened.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the snow was intense in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet showed tents buried in snow and lines of hikers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail very slick. Hikers often slipped – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 additional remained trapped but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets stated that hundreds of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or new details about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted anyone on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the authorities, and journalistic access is limited. The conditions also seemed to have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

October is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "unusual."

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

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.