🔗 Share this article

Trekkers have recounted encountering "harsh" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had hit the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of individuals at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've ever faced in all my trekking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on social media, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had almost buried the top," said a hiker on a social platform. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on the next day as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. It was then we discovered the snow was heavy in the lowlands too; locals, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of tourists for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet showed shelters buried in snow and rows of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the path very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Current Status

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

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the reports said. Local news reported that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

There was minimal updates or new details about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had affected individuals on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also appears to have have disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with typically clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

"Our leader told us he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.