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Rescue teams have safely led all of the remaining hikers near the eastern slopes of Everest in Tibet to safety, including numerous of native guides and yak herders, officials reported. This marks the end one of the biggest rescue and recovery efforts ever seen in the region.

Massive Evacuation Operation Completed

Hundreds of trekkers were became trapped in deep snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly powerful blizzard deposited heavy snowfall across the territory.

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

Previous accounts had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were projected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 mountaineers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other assistants were rescued, according to official statements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Describe Severe Situations

One from China hiker recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we learned the snow was heavy in the valley, too; villagers, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Climbing Plans Thwarted

The severe weather also hindered the objectives of alpinists 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 Area

Karma valley was first discovered by western travelers a hundred years ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor destination, the area has brought in an increasing number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists explored the Everest region last year, marking a unprecedented number.

Area Still Off-Limits

The Everest region is still currently inaccessible to the public, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Impact

The significant snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one traveler died, due to a combination of exposure and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a high season for the area, with typically sunny and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that returned safely to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “unusual.”