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Hikers have described facing "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped hundreds of people on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 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 tourists had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping hundreds of people at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang stated 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 peak," said another trekker on a social platform. "That was the first time I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to go down on the next day as the weather worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the lowlands too; locals, unable to contact 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 draws high numbers of tourists for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage posted online showed tents covered by snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

At least 200 additional remained trapped but had been reached, the updates said. Local news reported that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "unusual."

"The guide said he had not experienced such weather in October. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours triggered landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in the neighboring country.