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Hikers have described facing "extreme" conditions after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Rescue Operations Underway

Chinese authorities reported 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 Tibet side of the border.

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

"It was the most extreme conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, describing a "violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

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

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it hourly. They decided to go down on the next day as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we discovered the storm was intense in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of visitors for less technical hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet showed tents buried in snow and lines of trekkers walking through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by yaks," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down 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 Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports said. Local news stated that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from obstructing the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had affected individuals on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The conditions also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with typically clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "unusual."

"Our leader said he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in the neighboring country.