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Trekkers have recounted encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Chinese authorities reported that around 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of people at tent sites 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, detailing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the snow had nearly buried the top," said a hiker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to remove it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to contact 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 draws large crowds of visitors for easier trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage posted online showed tents covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Current Status

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

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Local news reported that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is restricted. The weather also appears to have have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers said power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the area, with usually clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

"Our leader told us he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.