5 killed, one missing after snow, rainstorms in Tibet

LHASA - Rainstorms and snow in late April killed five in Zayu County, in southwestern China"s Tibet Autonomous Region, and one is still missing, a local official said here Sunday.

Close to 10,700 people, or about 45 percent of the county"s rural population, were affected, said Chaxi Daje, director at the county"s disaster relief office.

Economic losses total more than 200 million yuan (about $29.3 million), he said.

The rainstorms and snow, which hit the county on April 23, also triggered mud-and-rock flows, landslides and cave-ins.

They also severely damaged roads, bridges and telecommunications infrastructure, he said.

By Sunday, communication lines with five of Zayu County"s six villages remained cut off.

About 85 percent of the county"s water supply facilities were also damaged.

Some 200 tents, 150 tonnes of food, 1,000 items of cotton-padded clothing, 1,000 quilts and 10 power generators are being rushed to the affected areas.