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Search parties have safely led all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to safety, including scores of local guides and animal tenders, officials stated. This wraps up one of the largest search-and-rescue operations ever undertaken in the zone.

Large-Scale Rescue Operation Completed

Several hundred of explorers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the recent weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an unexpectedly powerful blizzard dumped significant snowfall across the area.

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

Earlier reports had estimated that the last group of roughly 200 hikers were anticipated to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, in addition to more than 300 guides, livestock herders, and other crew members were rescued, according to official reports released on Tuesday night.

Those Rescued Recount Extreme Situations

One from China traveler 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 conditions 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 deep in the valley, too; local residents, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Expedition Plans Thwarted

The severe weather also hindered the goals of mountaineers guided by a American climbing firm to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by international travelers a century ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel draw, the area has attracted an rising number of travelers. More than 540,000 sightseers explored the Everest region last year, setting a new record.

Region Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region remains for the time being closed to the general public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one person died, due to a blend of low body temperature and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a peak season for the area, with typically sunny and mild weather, but one member of an 18-person hiking party that got back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “unusual.”