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Hikers have described facing "extreme" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue effort.

Rescue Operations 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 eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, trapping numerous of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme weather I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, describing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had nearly covered the peak," said another trekker on a social platform. "That was the first time I genuinely experienced 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 accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we discovered the storm was heavy in the valley too; locals, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for less technical trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage posted online depicted tents covered by snow and rows of trekkers moving through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the path very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 people had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Local news stated that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the weather had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is restricted. The weather also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the area, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

"Our leader said he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since Friday in the neighboring country.