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Rescue teams have escorted all of the remaining hikers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to a secure location, along with numerous of regional escorts and livestock handlers, authorities stated. This wraps up one of the largest search-and-rescue operations ever undertaken in the area.

Massive Evacuation Effort Completed

Several hundred of explorers were left stranded in deep snow over the weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an unexpectedly intense blizzard deposited significant snowfall across the region.

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

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

In total, 580 hikers, along with more than 300 escorts, livestock herders, and other assistants were evacuated, according to government reports released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Recount Extreme Situations

One from China hiker described how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, obliging them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the situation became more severe.

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

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also hindered the goals of alpinists led by a American climbing company to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by international travelers a long time ago. In the past few years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor draw, the area has attracted an growing number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, establishing a all-time high.

Region Still Closed

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

Broader Effect

The intense snowfall over the weekend also affected hundreds of hikers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one individual succumbed, due to a mix of exposure and high-altitude illness.

Unusual Weather

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