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Trekkers have recounted encountering "harsh" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

Officials in China stated that approximately 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the snow had almost covered the top," said another trekker on a social platform. "It was the first time I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, forcing them to clear it hourly. They chose to descend on the next day as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was heavy in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

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

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet showed shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

There was minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had affected 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 disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the area, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

"Our leader said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.