Avalanche kills 8 in China's Tibet region

ANKARA

Eight people were confirmed dead as of Wednesday night after an avalanche in the city of Nyingchi in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, according to state media.

The public security bureau in Nyingchi's Medog County received calls about an avalanche at an exit of a tunnel on the highway connecting Medog with Pad Township in Nyingchi's Mainling County on Tuesday around 7:50 p.m. local time (1150GMT), trapping people and vehicles, Nyingchi municipal authorities said late Wednesday.

A search and rescue operation for the missing is underway, Xinhua News Agency reported.

According to the state-run Global Times, local authorities dispatched 131 people and 28 vehicles to the scene overnight.

A working group from China's Ministry of Emergency Management was also dispatched to Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, the media outlet added.

* Writing by Islamuddin Sajid​​​​​​​