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Emergency crews have safely led all of the remaining trekkers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in Tibet to security, including numerous of native guides and livestock handlers, authorities stated. This concludes one of the largest search-and-rescue operations ever undertaken in the area.

Large-Scale Rescue Operation Concluded

Numerous of hikers were became trapped in thick snow over the past few days in the remote Karma valley, after an unusually fierce snowstorm dumped significant snowfall across the area.

Snow kept coming down throughout Saturday in the valley, which is located at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had guided approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Earlier reports had suggested that the remaining roughly 200 individuals were projected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 mountaineers, in addition to more than 300 guides, animal handlers, and other support staff were rescued, according to government statements released on Tuesday evening.

Survivors Recount Extreme Conditions

One from China trekker recalled how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we realized the snow was intense in the valley, too; local residents, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Plans Thwarted

The snowstorm also disrupted the goals of mountaineers guided by a United States mountaineering outfit to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by international adventurers a century ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a major visitor draw, the area has brought in an rising number of travelers. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Area Still Off-Limits

The Everest region continues to be temporarily inaccessible to the visitors, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also affected hundreds of trekkers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one individual lost their life, due to a blend of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a busy season for the area, with usually fine and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person expedition team that got back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”