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Hikers have recounted encountering "extreme" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped numerous 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, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding numerous of individuals at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest weather I've ever faced in all my trekking adventures, without question," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had nearly covered the top," shared a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China mentioned their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as snow rapidly built up around their tents, forcing them to remove it hourly. 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 snow was heavy in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

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

Online Documentation

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

"It was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

At least 200 additional remained trapped but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped 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 weather had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have disrupted phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

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

"The guide said he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.