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Hikers have described encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side 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 administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of people at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme weather I've ever faced in all my hiking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the accumulation had nearly covered the peak," shared a hiker on a social platform. "That was the first time I truly felt the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on the next day 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 as well; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet showed tents buried in snow and rows of hikers moving through deep drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail very slick. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports said. Media outlets stated that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from blocking the way out.

There was little official reporting or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The weather also appears to have have affected phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

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

"Our leader told us he had not experienced such weather in the fall. And it occurred very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.