Rescue efforts are ongoing to ensure hikers caught in a shock blizzard near Mount Everest make it to safety.

Heavy snowfall began on Friday evening and intensified on the eastern slopes of Everest over the weekend, trapping hundreds of hikers.

All those stranded have been contacted and 350 led to safety, according to Chinese state media, but more than 200 people are thought to still be in need of rescue.

“I’ve come to the Himalayas around 20 times, but I’ve never experienced weather like this,” seasoned hiker Dong Shuchang, 27, tells the BBC.

The sudden bad weather has also hit Nepal, where torrential rain and flooding has killed at least 47 people since Friday.

We're ending our live coverage now. You can stay up-to-date with the latest with our news story.

Stephen McDonell
China correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

This blizzard comes as China celebrates Golden Week, an eight-day holiday when people travel all around the country.

Hikers have used this opportunity to approach Mount Everest from the east side. It's supposed to be a great time of year to do it, there are usually good conditions, but instead heavy driving snow has hit the area prompting emergency calls.

The police have organised groups of locals to form into emergency rescue teams, and the fire brigade has been brought in to help.

They're apparently using yaks to get people down in various areas - the reason for that is because during dangerous conditions, where there is deep snow, the yaks can not only carve a path but potentially reveal dangerous chasms.

It's difficult to get information out of Tibet but we have spoken to a number of hikers who paint a picture of treacherous conditions in the mountains, where more than 200 remain stranded.

Geshuang Chen, a 29-year-old outdoor enthusiast, says a blizzard made conditions "extremely difficult" on her trek.

She says they experienced thunder, strong winds and relentless snow. "When we woke up the next morning, the snow was already about a metre deep,” Chen says, adding that her group then decided to turn back.

"I was so lucky to get out," she adds.

Another, whose account was retold by his wife, says he was "afraid of being buried if he fell into a deep sleep" as a result of the heavy snowfall.

Seasoned hiker Dong Shuchang, 27, says his hiking group's windbreakers and raincoats were "no match for the snow".

“I’ve come to the Himalayas around 20 times, but I’ve never experienced weather like this,” he says.

We heard from a seasoned hiker earlier about the conditions stranded climbers may be facing and the risk of Hypothermia.

Hypothermia refers to a dangerous drop in body temperature to below 35C - normal body temperature is around 37C.

The NHS describes it as a "medical emergency that needs to be treated in hospital".

Common signs include shivering, slurred speech, abnormally slow rate of breathing, cold and pale skin, fatigue, lethargy and confusion.

We can now bring you some footage of the scenes on Everest, where rescue teams are working to rescue stranded hikers.

Yvette Tan
Live editor

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining us, let's get you up to speed on rescue operations taking place on Mount Everest, where hundreds of hikers are still trapped:

• Heavy snowfall that began on Friday evening has intensified on the eastern slopes of Mount Everest. Some 350 hikers have been evacuated while 200 are still stranded - but authorities have been in touch with them, Chinese state media reported
• Hundreds of locals and rescuers have been deployed to clear the snow blocking access to the area
• The blizzard struck during China's eight-day Golden Week holiday, with many trekkers flocking to Karama Valley in Tibet, which leads to the eastern face of Everest
• Mountain guides were caught offguard by the unusually heavy snowfall - October is typically one of Everest's peak hiking seasons where temperature is known to be forgiving and the skies are clear. Several have warned of the risk of hypothermia
• Trekkers tell the BBC they have barely slept, with one camper saying he's had to clear snow outside his tent every 10 minutes
• The sudden bad weather has also hit Nepal, where torrential rain and flooding has killed at least 47 people since Friday

Stay with us as we bring you the latest on the rescue operation.

Tibet's Firefighting Department says it has sent rescuers and vehicles to the Karma Valley to help stranded climbers reach safety.

Rescuer teams worked through the night to bring people down through the snow. Some hikers had to be carried on the backs of emergency service workers.

Laura Bicker
China correspondent

The severity of this storm has taken experienced guides and hikers by surprise.

It is difficult to get information from this remote part of Tibet, but social media appears to paint a picture of both the chaos of the storm and the calm of the rescuers.

Guides were filmed trying to shovel snow in the dark to prevent tents and hikers becoming utterly submerged in deep wet snow.

After the alarm was raised, rescuers, including teams from the Tibetan fire service hiked through the night. Footage showed them carrying struggling walkers on their backs. Hundreds were led to safety, step-by-step wading through snow covered paths.

Their route down appears to have become unrecognisable, only locals knew the way and their yaks and horses helped carry equipment to those who’d become trapped.

Another hiker filmed villagers handing out warm food once she had finally reached the nearest village.

Visitors will spend thousands of dollars to catch just a glimpse of the world’s tallest mountain and these treks are heavily regulated on the Chinese side.

But as this weekend has shown, even when guides have made all the preparations possible, the Himalayan weather can prove to be unpredictable and dangerous.

Koh Ewe
Live reporter

Image source, Dong Shuchang

We've just heard from Dong Shuchang, 27, an avid nature photographer who is en route to Lhasa after leaving the snowed-in trail yesterday.

He spent last night with fellow hikers in a hotel room in Qudang township, where they relied on a generator for electricity.

“We’re just so relieved to get help and support,” he says.

When the group left the hotel this morning, the snowstorm had subsided.

"Our windbreakers and raincoats were no match for the snow. We were all drenched," he says.

"In this place with such heavy snow, in my experience it's very easy to get hypothermia."

Image source, Dong Shuchang

Dong's escape from the trail was lined with wet snow and falling sleet.

"A lot of people descended with us. But everyone was moving slowly. The route was very slippery. I kept falling because of the ice," he said.

As he descended he saw a lot of rescuers going up the trail to evacuate others deeper in the mountains.

Local authorities had earlier said that they've made contact with around 200 people still on the mountain.

Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter

We’ve spoken to Rebecca Stephens, a seasoned Himalayas trekker and the first British woman to reach the summit of Everest, about the conditions the stranded climbers are facing.

"You have a combination of cold and wet snow, there is a risk of hypothermia," says Stephens, who has participated in several expeditions in the area.

"On the north side there is a track that takes you to base camp, and with luck, people would be able to get out".

But for people higher than base camp, they’ll be on foot. “If you are stuck high on the mountain on very heavy snow – you have to get yourself down.”

Stephens says we are seeing changing weather patterns in the Himalayas. "You would expect the monsoon to have finished weeks ago but we’re still seeing very heavy rainfall in Nepal. It tends to be drier on the Tibetan side of the mountain and this is an unusually heavy snow fall, which comes with avalanche risk."

Laura Bicker
China correspondent

Image source, Reuters

The same storm battered the Himalayan region causing landslides and floods on the Nepalese side of Mount Everest which have killed at least 40 people.

In the eastern mountain district of Ilam, whole villages were swept away by landslides, according to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

There are warnings that the death toll could rise as officials try to trace people missing since Saturday. The heavy rainfall is reportedly hampering efforts to reach affected villages as many roads have been swept away.

Nepal’s government issued a severe rainfall warning in the eastern and central parts of the country from Saturday to Monday.

The storm hit as hundreds of thousands of people were returning to Kathmandu after celebrating Dashain, the biggest festival in the Himalayan nation.

Ben Rich
Lead Weather Presenter

Image source, Getty Images

October can provide fine, sunny days at Mount Everest but, as we’ve seen over the last few days, that isn’t guaranteed.

The southwest monsoon, which brings cloud and rain across the area from June to September, is retreating and while that often means sunnier conditions across the Himalayas it is also a time of year where depressions and cyclonic storms can form in the Bay of Bengal.

If these potent areas of low pressure drift northwards they can bring torrential rain and snow across the mountains of the Himalayas, which is exactly what has happened this time.

The same weather system has also brought deadly floods to parts of Nepal.

The forecast for the next few days looks much quieter and more typical for the time of year.

Sunny spells will be interspersed with just a few scattered snow showers, albeit with gusty winds at times.

As hikers continue making their way back to safety after getting caught in a snowstorm near Mount Everest, here's a recap of what we know so far:

• Heavy snowfall began on Friday evening and intensified on the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet, a popular hiking spot
• The snowstorm affected hundreds in Karma Valley, a lesser-known trail leading to the base of Everest
• On Monday, Chinese state media reported that 350 people were evacuated while around 200 remaining have been contacted

• Some hikers are still making their way out of the mountains and back to safety - an arduous journey given the thick snow that has blanketed the trail
• Hundreds of locals and rescuers have been deployed to clear the snow blocking access to the area

• "I was so lucky to get out," a hiker tells the BBC after they were caught in the blizzard. The snow was a metre deep when they woke up in their tents, she recalls
• Tourism is booming in China this Golden Week holiday, with many coming to hike in Karma Valley
• The Himalayas have faced extreme weather in recent days. At least 47 people have died in neighbouring Nepal after heavy rains triggered landslides and floods

Stay with us as we bring you the latest.

Image source, Reuters

Eric Wen, who was in a group of 18 hikers, told Reuters that they had decided to retreat from their campsite because of the continuous snowfall.

"It was raining and snowing every day, and we did not see Everest at all," he said.

Three people - two men and a woman - got hypothermia even though they were wearing adequate attire, he said.

"More than 10 of us were in the large tent and hardly slept," he said, adding that they had to clear the snow every 10 minutes, "otherwise our tents would have collapsed".

We've just been in touch with a woman in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, whose husband had found himself stuck in the snowstorm.

On 27 September, her husband had set out on a 12-day trek on the eastern slope of Everest.

Just over a week later, on 5 October, she got a satellite call from him asking for help: his group was stranded in heavy snow at Oga Campsite in the Karma Valley.

The woman, who has chosen not to be named, immediately called local county police who told her that some hikers had already contacted them and that they were sending rescue teams.

"But even for rescuers, it’s not easy. They need to clear snow to make a path. Local villagers and guides have also been mobilized to assist," she said.

"The snow started falling heavily, so we stopped moving forward and set up camp. But the snow kept piling up during the night, and we were afraid it might collapse our tent, so we had to keep shaking it off," she recounts her husband telling her.

"He barely slept that night," his wife said. "He was afraid of being buried if he fell into a deep sleep."

The next day, his group decided to retreat to Cuoxuerenma camp, which is also in the Valley.

But the snow was so deep that they had to rely on yaks to clear the path, fearing hidden gaps in the snow could trap them. Fortunately, the team was made up of 16 people, including three guides and three yak handlers who could carry their 20 kg loads and clear the route.

She said her husband had paid over 10,000 Chinese yuan ($1,400; £1,000) for the trek. Her husband's team are now expected to arrive in Cuoxuerenma later this afternoon.

"I hope [his] team reaches them safely," she said.

Laura Bicker
China correspondent

The Karma Valley in Tibet was described by an Everest explorer as one of the most beautiful valleys in the world.

It’s one of the lesser-known trails to the base of Everest and usually requires at least a medium to high level of mountaineering experience and fitness, according to hiking guidebooks which also boast of its beauty and of its view of the eastern slopes of the highest mountain in the world.

There is another popular "trail" on the Tibetan side of the mountain which has views of the northern side of the mountain.

This route has a road which allows vehicles access to a designated tourist camp near Rongbuk Monastery.

Both routes require permits and guides and are usually heavily regulated.

This is hiking season in Tibet and it is also a major eight-day holiday across China, so the trails will have been full of visitors.

Earlier we heard from hiking enthusiast Geshuang Chen, who entered the Himalayan hiking trail on Saturday, but was forced to retreat amid a blizzard.

Here's a video she has just sent to us, showing the thick snow that surrounded her tent in the mountains.

Image source, Getty Images

Mount Everest is one of the crown jewels for climbers - but with the achievement of reaching the world's highest peak come risks.

Records suggest there have been more than 280 deaths on the mountain.

Most of these deaths are from avalanches or falls. Acute mountain sickness, with symptoms of dizziness, vomiting and headaches, has also caused deaths.

As a reminder, the hikers affected by snowstorm over the weekend were stranded on the Tibetan slopes leading to Mount Everest.

Read more here.

Image source, Geshuang Chen

Geshuang Chen, a 29-year-old outdoor enthusiast, had set off from Qudang Township on 4 October, with plans to reach Qomolangma Base Camp - a trek that offers views of the Himalayan peaks five days later.

The initial plan was to leave the mountains on 11 October.

But all this changed when a severe blizzard hit.

When Chen checked the weather forecast, it was expected to snow on 4 October but clear up by 5 October and be sunny the next day.

So her group of more than 10 people decided to stay as they had planned.

However, overnight, the storm worsened - bringing thunder, strong winds, and relentless snow.

Their guide helped shake snow off the tents and dig around them to prevent collapse.

"When we woke up the next morning, the snow was already about a metre deep,” Chen recalled, adding that her group then decided to turn back.

The group spent nearly six hours trekking back on 5 October, as the path had been buried under deep snow.

On the way down, they met local Tibetan villagers carrying supplies uphill for rescue efforts. Villagers told her that hundreds of locals had joined the search and rescue operation.

“Many people come here to hike during the Golden Week, but this year’s snow was exceptional,” she said. Their guide also said such weather on the eastern slope of Everest was highly unusual, she added.

She is now on her way back to Lhasa city.

"All of us are experienced hikers,” Chen said. "But this blizzard was still extremely difficult to deal with. I was so lucky to get out."

Stephen McDonell
China correspondent

Even at the best of times, it can be very difficult to get accurate information out of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR).

No foreigners can enter there without special permission and journalists are only granted access to join official government organised tours which are also rare.

So when reporters try to contact people inside the TAR they are routinely blocked. People simply hang up on you or will refuse to answer even basic questions.

During a crisis of any type, like a rescue emergency, such control is tightened even further.

The Chinese government would prefer that the information flow is controlled by the Party via its own organs.

There have been reports though from China’s state-controlled media on the October holiday of dangerous weather in this part of the Himalayas and the subsequent rescue efforts.

According to these reports all trekkers have now been either brought into town or accounted for and apparently, over the coming hours, hiking groups will come down from the mountain in stages.