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Trekkers have described encountering "harsh" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded numerous of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Chinese authorities reported that around 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding numerous of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, detailing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had almost covered the peak," said another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it hourly. They chose to go down on the next day as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of visitors for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted tents buried in snow and rows of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, others were bumped by yaks," noted a trekker, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

At least 200 additional remained trapped but had been reached, the reports said. Media outlets stated that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with typically clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "not normal."

"Our leader said he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred very abruptly."

The local tourism authority said ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.