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Trekkers have described encountering "extreme" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

Officials in China stated that approximately 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding numerous of people at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the snow had nearly covered the peak," said another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China mentioned their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on the next day as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. That's when we discovered the storm was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of visitors for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage shared on the internet depicted tents buried in snow and rows of hikers walking through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by yaks," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

No fewer than 200 additional remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and journalistic access is restricted. The weather also seemed to have affected phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, one of 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

"The guide said he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly."

The local tourism authority said ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.