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Rescue teams have successfully guided all of the last adventurers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to safety, along with numerous of native guides and animal tenders, authorities stated. This marks the end one of the most extensive rescue and recovery missions ever undertaken in the zone.

Large-Scale Rescue Operation Concluded

Several hundred of explorers were left stranded in deep snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally fierce winter blast unleashed heavy snowfall across the territory.

Snow kept coming down all day Saturday in the valley, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had guided approximately 350 hikers to security.

Initial updates had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were projected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other crew members were rescued, according to official reports released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Recount Harsh Situations

One from China traveler shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They opted to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

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

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The blizzard also thwarted the objectives of climbers escorted by a American expedition company to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first explored by western adventurers a long time ago. In modern times, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a major tourism draw, the area has drawn an growing number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Area Still Off-Limits

The Everest region continues to be for the time being inaccessible to the general public, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced hundreds of hikers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler lost their life, due to a mix of low body temperature and altitude sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a peak season for the area, with typically clear and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person expedition team that got back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”