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Rescue teams have safely led all of the last hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including hundreds of local guides and yak herders, authorities stated. This marks the end one of the largest rescue and recovery efforts ever seen in the area.

Massive Rescue Effort Concluded

Numerous of explorers were found themselves stuck in heavy snow over the past few days in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally fierce snowstorm unleashed significant snowfall across the region.

Snow persisted throughout Saturday in the valley, which rests at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had guided approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Earlier reports had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were anticipated to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, along with more than 300 guides, livestock herders, and other crew members were rescued, according to government reports released on Tuesday evening.

Those Rescued Describe Severe Conditions

One from China traveler described how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

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

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

The snowstorm also hindered the goals of alpinists guided by a American climbing firm to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first discovered by foreign explorers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor draw, the area has brought in an increasing number of tourists. More than 540,000 sightseers explored the Everest region last year, setting a all-time high.

Area Still Off-Limits

The Everest region continues to be currently closed to the visitors, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

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

Unusual Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with normally fine and pleasant weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that made it back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “unusual.”