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Rescue teams have escorted all of the last trekkers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including numerous of native guides and yak herders, authorities stated. This marks the end one of the largest rescue and recovery efforts ever undertaken in the region.

Large-Scale Evacuation Operation Concluded

Numerous of trekkers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unusually powerful winter blast deposited heavy snowfall across the territory.

Snow continued to fall all day Saturday in the valley, which is located at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had guided approximately 350 hikers to security.

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

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 guides, yak herders, and other crew members were rescued, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday evening.

Those Rescued Describe Severe Situations

One from China hiker recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we realized the snow was deep in the valley, too; local residents, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The blizzard also thwarted the objectives of mountaineers escorted by a American mountaineering firm to ascend 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.

Tourism Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by foreign travelers a century ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant travel draw, the area has brought in an increasing number of travelers. More than 540,000 sightseers traveled to the Everest region last year, marking a all-time high.

Region Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region remains for the time being off-limits to the visitors, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person succumbed, due to a mix of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a peak season for the area, with normally sunny and moderate weather, but one member of an 18-person expedition team that made it back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “not normal.”