🔗 Share this article

Trekkers have described encountering "extreme" situations after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of people at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme weather I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the snow had nearly covered the top," said a hiker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to clear it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we learned the snow was intense in the valley too; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

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

Visual Evidence

Images and footage posted online showed tents buried in snow and lines of trekkers moving through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, approximately 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources announced.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Local news reported that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

There was minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the storm had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. 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 attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the region, with typically clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 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 never encountered conditions like this in October. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.