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Growing fears for trapped Tibetans

South China Morning Post, Tuesday, April 18, 2000

The fate of 3,000 Tibetan trapped in a valley by a massive snowstorm for almost a week remained unknown yesterday. Soldiers have been sent to blow up the rocks blocking the roads to the valley near Bomi county in eastern Tibet, but it was not known if the victims - stranded by avalanches since April 9 - could have survived in the severe weather for such a long period.

An official at the Tibetan Civil Affairs Bureau said the Government was not informed about the progress of the rescue efforts due to poor communications.

"We cannot reach the rescue team from here. We have not heard from them for the last two days," the official said.

Tibet was struck by a unusually severe snowstorm last week that caused avalanches across the region.

In the same valley, another 1,000 Tibetans were rescued by the army on Saturday. The official said access to the scene was difficult as it was not on a major road.

State media reported earlier that the rugged highway linking Tibet and Sichuan province was disrupted by avalanches, and over 100 vehicles had been stranded.

Police were deployed to rescue the drivers and passengers. Working round the clock for days, they saved over 500 people.

Avalanches and rockslides caused by a rise in temperatures after the snowstorm have damaged many buildings, roads and bridges across Tibet. However, the official said the snow had stopped over the weekend, and traffic on the Sichuan-Tibet highway had now resumed