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

Rescue Operations Underway

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on social media, describing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the snow had almost buried the peak," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the initial instance I truly felt the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it hourly. They decided to go down on the next day as the weather worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the storm was intense in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of tourists for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage shared on the internet depicted tents covered by snow and lines of trekkers moving through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village 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 contacted, the reports said. Media outlets stated that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on the following day. It was also not clear if the weather had affected anyone on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The conditions also appears to have have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"Our leader told us he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred all too suddenly."

The local tourism authority announced ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.