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Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the remaining hikers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, along with hundreds of local guides and yak herders, authorities announced. This marks the end one of the biggest rescue and recovery operations ever undertaken in the zone.

Massive Evacuation Effort Completed

Several hundred of trekkers were became trapped in thick snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce snowstorm dumped substantial snowfall across the territory.

Snow kept coming down all day Saturday in the valley, which rests at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had led approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Previous accounts had indicated that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were projected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other assistants were rescued, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Describe Severe Conditions

One from China trekker described how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, obliging them to shovel 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 ventured for him. That’s when we learned the snow was intense in the valley, too; local residents, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Climbing Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also hindered the objectives of climbers escorted by a American mountaineering outfit to summit 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.

Tourism Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by international explorers a long time ago. In the past few years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel draw, the area has drawn an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, setting a new record.

Area Remains Off-Limits

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

Broader Effect

The intense snowfall over the weekend also affected hundreds of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one individual succumbed, due to a mix of exposure and altitude sickness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with typically fine and mild weather, but one member of an 18-person expedition team that returned safely to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”