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Hikers have recounted facing "extreme" situations after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities reported that around 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of visitors had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had hit the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of people 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 hiking experiences, without question," a Chinese trekker said on social media, detailing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the accumulation had nearly buried the peak," said another trekker on a social platform. "That was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was heavy in the valley too; locals, unable to reach their children 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 large crowds of visitors for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

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

"The snow was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources announced.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates said. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

There was minimal updates or new details about the operation on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected anyone on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the authorities, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual."

"Our leader said he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it occurred very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.