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Rescue teams have successfully guided all of the remaining trekkers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to a secure location, along with hundreds of native guides and livestock handlers, local government announced. This wraps up one of the biggest rescue and recovery efforts ever seen in the area.

Large-Scale Evacuation Operation Completed

Several hundred of trekkers were left stranded in heavy snow over the recent weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an exceptionally powerful blizzard dumped heavy snowfall across the region.

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

Previous accounts had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 individuals were projected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 mountaineers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other support staff were evacuated, according to official announcements released on Tuesday evening.

Those Rescued Recount Harsh Conditions

One Chinese traveler described how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we found out the snow was heavy in the valley, too; local residents, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Climbing Schedules Disrupted

The severe weather also thwarted the objectives of alpinists guided by a United States mountaineering company 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 Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by foreign adventurers a century ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism attraction, the area has drawn an growing number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists traveled to the Everest region last year, setting a new record.

Area Still Closed

The Everest region remains temporarily closed to the visitors, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one individual succumbed, due to a combination of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a high season for the area, with normally sunny and moderate weather, but one member of an 18-person expedition team that returned safely to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “not normal.”