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Hikers have recounted encountering "harsh" situations after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Officials in China reported that around 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of visitors had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of people at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme weather I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on social media, detailing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had nearly buried the top," said another trekker on a social platform. "That was the first time I truly felt the fear of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China mentioned their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on the next day as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was heavy in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east 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 trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online showed tents buried in snow and lines of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources reported.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets reported that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted individuals on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The weather also seemed to have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a busy period for the region, with usually clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual."

"The guide told us he had never encountered conditions like this in the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.