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Hikers have recounted facing "extreme" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that around 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 tourists had traveled 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 the weekend, stranding numerous of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker said on social media, describing a "violent convective snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and saw that the snow had almost covered the peak," said another trekker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to descend on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands as well; villagers, 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 attracts high numbers of visitors for less technical trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online depicted tents buried in snow and rows of trekkers walking through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Hikers often slipped – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been reached, the reports indicated. Local news stated that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

The regional travel department announced ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.