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Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the remaining adventurers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to safety, along with scores of local guides and animal tenders, authorities stated. This wraps up one of the most extensive search-and-rescue operations ever conducted in the area.

Massive Evacuation Effort Completed

Numerous of explorers were became trapped in deep snow over the weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce snowstorm dumped substantial snowfall across the territory.

Snow kept coming down throughout Saturday in the valley, which rests at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had escorted approximately 350 hikers to security.

Previous accounts had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were projected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, in addition to more than 300 guides, yak herders, and other crew members were brought out, according to official announcements released on Tuesday night.

Those Rescued Describe Severe Conditions

One from China hiker shared how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the situation became more severe.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we realized the snow was heavy in the valley, too; community members, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The snowstorm also thwarted the objectives of mountaineers led by a United States mountaineering company to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first explored by international travelers a hundred years ago. In modern times, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a major travel attraction, the area has attracted an growing number of travelers. More than 540,000 sightseers visited the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number.

Region Remains Closed

The Everest region remains temporarily inaccessible to the public, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Effect

The intense snowfall over the weekend also impacted hundreds of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person lost their life, due to a blend of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a peak season for the area, with typically sunny and moderate weather, but one trekker of an 18-person trekking group that got back to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “atypical.”