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Rescue teams have successfully guided all of the last hikers near the eastern slopes of Everest in Tibet to a secure location, along with numerous of local guides and yak herders, officials stated. This wraps up one of the biggest search-and-rescue efforts ever seen in the area.

Massive Rescue Operation Concluded

Several hundred of explorers were became trapped in heavy snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly powerful snowstorm unleashed heavy snowfall across the area.

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

Initial updates had suggested that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were expected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, coupled with more than 300 guides, yak herders, and other support staff were evacuated, according to authoritative statements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Recount Extreme Situations

One from China trekker recalled how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, obliging them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to move to lower ground on Sunday as the weather became more severe.

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

Climbing Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also hindered the goals of alpinists escorted by a United States climbing outfit to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first explored by foreign explorers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a major tourism destination, the area has brought in an increasing number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists explored the Everest region last year, setting a all-time high.

Area Remains Closed

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

Wider Effect

The intense snowfall over the weekend also influenced hundreds of hikers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person died, due to a blend of low body temperature and altitude sickness.

Atypical Conditions

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