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Trekkers have described encountering "harsh" situations after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

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

"This was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had nearly buried the peak," shared another trekker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to remove it hourly. They chose to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was heavy in the valley as well; locals, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of tourists for easier trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online depicted shelters buried in snow and lines of hikers moving through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources announced.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports said. Local news stated that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

There was minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had affected individuals on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The weather also appears to have have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

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

"The guide told us he had not experienced such weather in the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

The local tourism authority said admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Broader Effects

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