Death toll from Tibet avalanche rises to 28

Fifty-three survivors were found, five of whom were seriously injured in an avalanche in the city of Nyingchi in Tibet

January 21, 2023 10:36 am | Updated 11:50 am IST - BEIJING

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Rescuers search for survivors following an avalanche in Nyingchi, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on January 20, 2023

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Rescuers search for survivors following an avalanche in Nyingchi, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on January 20, 2023 | Photo Credit: AP

At least 28 people were killed in an avalanche in the city of Nyingchi in the southwestern region of Tibet, the official Xinhua news agency reported late on Friday.

Rescue work at the scene is over, Xinhua said.

Local authorities have sent a total of 1,348 people and 236 equipment to help excavate a rescue passage of 7.5 kilometres (4.66 miles), Xinhua said.

Fifty-three survivors were found, five of whom were seriously injured, Global Times reported, citing a local government official in the western Chinese region.

The avalanche occurred on a section of road between Pai village in Mainling county and the exit of the Doxong La tunnel in Medog county at around 8 p.m.(1200 GMT) on Tuesday, with people and vehicles stranded.

With an altitude of nearly 4,500 metres (14,764 ft), Doxong La mountain has steep slopes and Doxong La section of the road is rugged. The avalanche was triggered by strong winds as the weather gets warm, Xinhua added.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.