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Trekkers have described encountering "harsh" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that around 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 Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of people at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, detailing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had nearly covered the peak," shared a hiker on a social platform. "That was the initial instance I truly felt the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the valley too; villagers, unable to reach their family 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, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online showed shelters covered by snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," state media reported.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the reports said. Local news stated that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from obstructing the way out.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The conditions also appears to have have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses failing. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a peak season for the region, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

"The guide told us he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it occurred all too suddenly."

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

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours triggered landslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.