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Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to safety, including numerous of regional escorts and livestock handlers, officials reported. This marks the end one of the biggest search-and-rescue operations ever seen in the zone.

Massive Evacuation Operation Concluded

Numerous of explorers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the recent weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an exceptionally powerful snowstorm unleashed heavy 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, emergency teams had escorted approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Initial updates had suggested that the remaining roughly 200 individuals were anticipated to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 mountaineers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other support staff were rescued, according to government reports released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Describe Severe Situations

One from China hiker described how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the situation became more severe.

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

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also thwarted the goals of alpinists led by a American expedition firm to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first explored by international travelers a long time ago. In modern times, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel destination, the area has brought in an increasing number of visitors. More than 540,000 sightseers traveled to the Everest region last year, marking a all-time high.

Area Remains Closed

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

Wider Effect

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. Tragically, at least one person lost their life, due to a combination of exposure and high-altitude illness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a high season for the area, with normally clear and mild weather, but one trekker of an 18-person expedition team that got back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “atypical.”