Local government sources said on Saturday that
nearly 4,600 heads of livestock have frozen to death after
continuous snowfall hit Xigaze Prefecture in the southwest of the
Tibet
Autonomous Region over the past two weeks.
Transport between five counties has also been
blocked due to the snow, according to the prefectural
government.
"Most of the dead livestock are young, including
that of a new breed of goat imported as an income-generating
project. We are currently working on policies to help herders out
of difficulty," said an official from Gyirong County, which was hit
hardest.
The prefectural government has set up a
disaster-relief work team and members have gone to different
counties to investigate the damage caused by the heavy snow and
monitor rescue work.
By Friday morning, relief supplies, including
tents, forage grass and food, had been sent to most of the affected
areas, according to?the prefectural
government.??
(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2005)