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Search parties have safely led all of the remaining trekkers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to a secure location, along with hundreds of regional escorts and yak herders, local government stated. This wraps up one of the biggest rescue and recovery operations ever undertaken in the zone.

Massive Rescue Effort Completed

Numerous of hikers were became trapped in heavy snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally powerful snowstorm deposited substantial snowfall across the region.

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

Earlier reports had estimated that the last group of roughly 200 individuals were expected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 guides, yak herders, and other crew members were evacuated, according to official statements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Describe Extreme Conditions

One from China traveler shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, obliging them to clear it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the situation became more severe.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we realized the snow was heavy in the valley, too; local residents, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

The blizzard also thwarted the plans of alpinists escorted by a American mountaineering company to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first explored by western travelers a long time ago. In modern times, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism attraction, the area has drawn an increasing number of tourists. More than 540,000 sightseers visited the Everest region last year, establishing a new record.

Region Still Closed

The Everest region continues to be for the time being inaccessible to the visitors, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Impact

The significant snowfall over the weekend also impacted hundreds of trekkers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one traveler succumbed, due to a combination of low body temperature and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a peak season for the area, with usually fine and moderate weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that got back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “unusual.”