🔗 Share this article Mount Everest Hikers Describe 'Severe' Weather as Large-Scale Rescue Effort Continues Trekkers have recounted encountering "harsh" conditions 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 operation. Evacuation Efforts In Progress Officials in China 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 Tibetan side of the border. Crowds of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on the weekend, stranding hundreds of individuals at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet). "It was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest. "Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had almost covered the top," shared a hiker on a social platform. "That was the first time I truly felt the terror of being buried alive." Eyewitness Reports A hiker from China said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it hourly. They decided to descend on the next day as the conditions deteriorated. "On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we discovered the storm was heavy in the lowlands too; locals, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were extremely worried." The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak. Visual Evidence Photos and video shared on the internet depicted tents covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through deep drifts to descend the mountain. "The snow was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers often slipped – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus. Current Status By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced. No fewer than 200 additional remained trapped but had been reached, the updates said. Local news reported that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route. Officials provided minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also appears to have have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town. Weather Patterns October is a busy period for the region, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal." "The guide told us he had not experienced such weather in the fall. And it occurred all too suddenly." The regional travel department said ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend. Regional Impact Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.