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Search parties have successfully guided all of the last adventurers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, along with numerous of local guides and animal tenders, local government announced. This concludes one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts ever seen in the region.

Large-Scale Evacuation Operation Completed

Several hundred of trekkers were became trapped in thick snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally powerful snowstorm dumped significant snowfall across the region.

Snow kept coming down throughout Saturday in the valley, which rests at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had led approximately 350 hikers to security.

Previous accounts had estimated that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were anticipated to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 guides, livestock herders, and other crew members were brought out, according to government statements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Describe Extreme Situations

One from China hiker recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, compelling them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

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

Expedition Plans Thwarted

The snowstorm also hindered the objectives of climbers guided by a US-based climbing company to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by international explorers a hundred years ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor draw, the area has drawn an growing number of travelers. More than 540,000 sightseers explored the Everest region last year, marking a unprecedented number.

Region Still Off-Limits

The Everest region continues to be for the time being inaccessible to the general public, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted numerous of hikers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one traveler died, due to a mix of exposure and altitude sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a peak season for the area, with usually sunny and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that got back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “unusual.”