The search efforts for seven migrant workers who went missing in
an avalanche on Monday in Tibet were hindered by continuous
snowfall in the area, local government said Saturday.
The search area has been reduced to an area of 0.6 square km,
but continual snowy weather and steep geological condition made it
impossible for rescuers to approach the core area, the Bomi county
government said.
The seven people were part of a 29-member group from the
neighboring Sichuan Province heading toward Tibet's Medog County
through Bomi County on foot as there is no road access. They were
about 20 meters from the Gawalong mountain peak when they got
caught in the avalanche.
Fourteen of the 29 were buried initially and seven managed to
free themselves. The other seven remained missing. The local
government identified the missing as from Suining and Mianyang
cities of Sichuan.
"The snow drift at the Gawalong Mountain was as deep as three
meters and further avalanches are possible to happen at any time,"
a rescuer said.
The survival chance of the missing is slim, according to
rescuers.
(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2007)