XINING, March 23 – An avalanche has buried 4,000 acres of grassland in northwestern China’s Qinghai province, trapping 175 Tibetan families and destroying their grazing lands.
The avalanche last Thursday was the biggest ever in the Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous County. Snow has covered the grasslands and blocked the roads, leaving families isolated and their sheep and cattle without grazing area. There were no reported casualties, according to a the official Xinhua news agency report Tuesday.
A chunk of snow more than 5,000 yards by 3,000 yards and more than 300 yards high, swept down a mountain in the high plateau region. The altitude is four miles above sea level, and the average year-round temperature is minus five degrees Centigrade (23 degrees Fahrenheit).
A team of geologists explored the area, finding cracks in the snow that threaten further snow slides in coming months. The local government is arranging emergency assistance to transport the herdsmen, their families and their animals to safety.
