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Rescue teams have safely led all of the last trekkers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to safety, including numerous of native guides and animal tenders, authorities reported. This marks the end one of the most extensive rescue and recovery efforts ever conducted in the region.

Large-Scale Evacuation Effort Completed

Numerous of trekkers were became trapped in heavy snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an unusually powerful snowstorm unleashed heavy snowfall across the region.

Snow kept coming down throughout Saturday in the valley, which rests at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had escorted approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Earlier reports had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 individuals were expected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, along with more than 300 escorts, animal handlers, and other support staff were rescued, according to government reports released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Recount Severe Situations

One from China trekker described how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to move to lower ground on Sunday as the situation deteriorated.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we realized the snow was deep in the valley, too; community members, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

The severe weather also disrupted the objectives of mountaineers guided by a United States mountaineering firm to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first discovered by international explorers a century ago. In modern times, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel attraction, the area has brought in an growing number of travelers. More than 540,000 tourists explored the Everest region last year, marking a unprecedented number.

Area Remains Off-Limits

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

Wider Impact

The intense snowfall over the weekend also affected many of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one individual died, due to a blend of low body temperature and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Weather

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