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Emergency crews have escorted all of the remaining trekkers near the eastern slopes of Everest in Tibet to safety, including scores of native guides and animal tenders, authorities reported. This concludes one of the biggest rescue and recovery efforts ever seen in the zone.

Massive Rescue Effort Concluded

Numerous of explorers were found themselves stuck in heavy snow over the recent weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unusually intense snowstorm deposited significant snowfall across the area.

Snow persisted all day 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.

Initial updates had suggested that the last group of roughly 200 hikers were anticipated to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other support staff were rescued, according to authoritative reports released on Tuesday evening.

Survivors Recount Extreme Situations

One from China trekker shared how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, obliging them to clear it every 90 minutes. They opted to descend on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

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

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also disrupted the goals of mountaineers guided by a American climbing company to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first explored by western travelers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a major tourism attraction, the area has attracted an rising number of tourists. More than 540,000 sightseers traveled to the Everest region last year, marking a unprecedented number.

Region Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region is still temporarily off-limits to the visitors, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted numerous of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one individual lost their life, due to a blend of exposure and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with normally fine and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that got back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “unusual.”