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Rescue teams have escorted all of the last hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to security, along with hundreds of regional escorts and animal tenders, local government stated. This concludes one of the biggest rescue and recovery operations ever seen in the area.

Massive Evacuation Operation Concluded

Numerous of explorers were found themselves stuck in heavy snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an unusually powerful winter blast unleashed significant snowfall across the area.

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

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

In total, 580 mountaineers, in addition to more than 300 guides, animal handlers, and other crew members were rescued, according to government announcements released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Describe Severe Situations

One Chinese hiker shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the situation worsened.

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

Climbing Schedules Thwarted

The blizzard also thwarted the plans of mountaineers guided by a American expedition firm to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by foreign travelers a long time ago. In the past few years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant travel draw, the area has drawn an increasing number of visitors. More than 540,000 tourists explored the Everest region last year, establishing a unprecedented number.

Area Still Off-Limits

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

Wider Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of hikers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one individual died, due to a blend of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.

Unusual Weather

October is typically a peak season for the area, with typically clear and pleasant weather, but one member of an 18-person expedition team that returned safely to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “not normal.”