Nine die in Tibet snowstorms: Chinese state media

Nine people have died in extreme snowstorms in Tibet, while nearly 2,000 others have been evacuated to safer areas, Chinese state media said today.

Nine people have died in extreme snowstorms in Tibet, while nearly 2,000 others have been evacuated to safer areas, Chinese state media said today.

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More than 2,150 people, mostly herders, have been stranded in the eastern part of the Himalayan region by the storms, described as the worst on record. Around 1,900 of them have already been evacuated, the Xinhua news agency said.

Linzhi, one of the areas worst hit in southeast Tibet, saw 36 consecutive hours of snowfall from last Sunday, with snow lying on average 1.5 metres (five feet) deep, Xinhua reported.