🔗 Share this article

Trekkers have recounted facing "harsh" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

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

Large groups of visitors had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, describing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the accumulation had almost covered the top," said another trekker on a social platform. "It was the first time I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China mentioned their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the weather worsened.

"During the descent, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was intense in the valley too; locals, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of tourists for less technical hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online depicted tents covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled 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 village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates said. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather 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 affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

"Our leader told us he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.