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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 a secure location, along with numerous of native guides and livestock handlers, officials reported. This concludes one of the biggest rescue and recovery operations ever undertaken in the region.

Large-Scale Rescue Effort Concluded

Several hundred of trekkers were left stranded in thick snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce blizzard unleashed heavy snowfall across the area.

Snow continued to fall throughout Saturday in the valley, which rests at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had led approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Previous accounts had indicated that the remaining roughly 200 individuals were projected to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, along with more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other crew members were evacuated, according to government statements released on Tuesday evening.

Those Rescued Describe Harsh Conditions

One from China hiker shared how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we found out the snow was deep in the valley, too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Climbing Plans Disrupted

The snowstorm also thwarted the objectives of climbers guided by a American expedition firm to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by western travelers a century ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel attraction, the area has attracted an rising number of tourists. More than 540,000 sightseers visited the Everest region last year, establishing a new record.

Region Still Off-Limits

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

Broader Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced numerous of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person succumbed, due to a blend of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with normally clear and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that got back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “not normal.”