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Hikers have recounted encountering "extreme" situations after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive 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, located to the east 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 administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping hundreds of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

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

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the snow had almost covered the top," said a hiker on a social platform. "It was the first time I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it hourly. They chose to descend on the next day as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the snow was intense in the valley as well; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the Nepal side of the border and draws high numbers of visitors for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet showed shelters buried in snow and rows of hikers walking through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Local news stated that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the way out.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with usually clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "unusual."

"The guide said he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

The regional travel department said ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused landslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.