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Search parties have escorted all of the last hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to security, including numerous of regional escorts and animal tenders, local government stated. This wraps up one of the most extensive rescue and recovery missions ever undertaken in the region.

Large-Scale Evacuation Effort Completed

Numerous of trekkers were found themselves stuck in heavy snow over the recent weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unexpectedly powerful blizzard dumped heavy snowfall across the territory.

Snow kept coming down all day Saturday in the valley, which is located at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had led approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Earlier reports had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 hikers were anticipated to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, along with more than 300 guides, livestock herders, and other crew members were rescued, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Describe Extreme Conditions

One Chinese traveler recalled how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, obliging them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the situation worsened.

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

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also disrupted the objectives of mountaineers guided by a American mountaineering outfit to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

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 significant tourism destination, the area has drawn an growing number of travelers. More than 540,000 sightseers traveled to the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number.

Area Still Off-Limits

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

Wider Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted many of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one person lost their life, due to a combination of hypothermia and high-altitude illness.

Unusual Weather

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