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Trekkers have described encountering "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

Officials in China reported that approximately 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of visitors had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping hundreds of people at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

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

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the accumulation had almost buried the peak," said another trekker 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 party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of tourists for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage posted online depicted tents covered by snow and lines of hikers moving through deep drifts to get down the mountain.

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

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town 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 contacted, the updates said. Local news reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The weather also appears to have have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the region, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

"Our leader told us 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 suspended from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.