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Trekkers have described facing "extreme" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped hundreds of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Chinese authorities reported that around 350 people 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 Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall 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 most extreme weather I've ever faced in all my trekking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on social media, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had almost buried the peak," said a hiker 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 Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it hourly. They chose to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the snow was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than locations on the neighboring side of the border and attracts high numbers of visitors for easier trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage posted online depicted shelters buried in snow and lines of trekkers walking through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path very slick. Hikers often slipped – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," state media reported.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been reached, the updates indicated. Local news reported that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the authorities, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the region, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide said he had never encountered conditions like this in the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

The local tourism authority said admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from Saturday.

Broader Effects

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