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Hikers have described encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest holiday weekends stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding numerous of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, describing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the snow had nearly covered the peak," shared another trekker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. That's when we discovered the storm was heavy in the lowlands 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 locations on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online depicted shelters covered by snow and lines of trekkers walking through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by yaks," said one, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates said. Media outlets stated that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

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

"Our leader told us he had never encountered such weather in October. And it occurred all too suddenly."

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

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.