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Search parties have safely led all of the remaining adventurers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including scores of regional escorts and yak herders, officials reported. This wraps up one of the most extensive search-and-rescue efforts ever undertaken in the region.

Large-Scale Evacuation Effort Concluded

Several hundred of explorers were became trapped in heavy snow over the recent weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an exceptionally fierce snowstorm unleashed significant snowfall across the region.

Snow continued to fall all day Saturday in the valley, which rests at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had led approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Initial updates had indicated that the remaining roughly 200 individuals were projected to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, along with more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other support staff were rescued, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Describe Harsh Situations

One from China trekker recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, obliging them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They chose to move to lower ground 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 learned the snow was deep in the valley, too; villagers, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Climbing Schedules Thwarted

The blizzard also thwarted the goals of mountaineers led by a United States expedition company to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by international explorers a century ago. In modern times, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel attraction, the area has drawn an growing number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists explored the Everest region last year, establishing a all-time high.

Region Still Off-Limits

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

Broader Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced numerous of trekkers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one individual lost their life, due to a combination of low body temperature and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a high season for the area, with usually sunny and moderate weather, but one trekker of an 18-person trekking group that returned safely to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “not normal.”