🔗 Share this article

Trekkers have recounted facing "harsh" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Officials in China stated that around 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme weather I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had almost buried the top," said a hiker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had searched 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 extremely worried."

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

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet showed shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path very slick. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had reached Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates said. Media outlets stated that hundreds of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

There was minimal updates or new details about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained 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 journalistic access is limited. The conditions also seemed to have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with typically clear and mild weather, but one trekker, among 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

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

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.