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Hikers have described encountering "harsh" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Officials in China reported that around 350 people had made their way down 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 visitors 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 hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding numerous of people at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had nearly covered the peak," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the valley as well; locals, 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 easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online showed tents covered by snow and lines of hikers moving through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by yaks," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also seemed to have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

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

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

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.