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Search parties have safely led all of the remaining adventurers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to safety, along with hundreds of local guides and animal tenders, local government stated. This concludes one of the biggest rescue and recovery efforts ever undertaken in the region.

Massive Rescue Operation Completed

Hundreds of explorers were became trapped in thick snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unusually intense blizzard dumped heavy snowfall across the territory.

Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had escorted approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Earlier reports had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 hikers were anticipated to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 escorts, livestock herders, and other crew members were evacuated, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Recount Harsh Conditions

One Chinese hiker shared how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, forcing them to shovel 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 ventured for him. That’s when we found out the snow was deep in the valley, too; community members, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

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

Visitor Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first discovered by foreign travelers a century ago. In the past few years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism destination, the area has attracted an rising number of travelers. More than 540,000 tourists traveled to the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number.

Region Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region continues to be currently closed to the general public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The significant snowfall over the weekend also influenced hundreds of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler died, due to a blend of exposure and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with usually fine and moderate weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that returned safely to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “unusual.”