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Rescue teams have safely led all of the last hikers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to safety, including hundreds of regional escorts and livestock handlers, local government stated. This marks the end one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts ever undertaken in the region.

Large-Scale Rescue Effort Completed

Numerous of trekkers were found themselves stuck in thick snow over the past few days in the isolated Karma valley, after an unusually powerful snowstorm dumped substantial snowfall across the region.

Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which sits at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had escorted approximately 350 hikers to security.

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

In total, 580 mountaineers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other crew members were rescued, according to authoritative statements released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Recount Severe Situations

One Chinese traveler shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to descend on Sunday as the weather worsened.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we found out the snow was intense in the valley, too; villagers, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The snowstorm also hindered the goals of alpinists escorted by a United States expedition firm to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and the nation of Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by western travelers a long time ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a major travel attraction, the area has drawn an growing number of travelers. More than 540,000 sightseers explored the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number.

Region Still Closed

The Everest region remains currently inaccessible to the visitors, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also affected hundreds of travelers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one person succumbed, due to a combination of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Conditions

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