Aid flows to quake survivors as snowstorm hits Tibet

LHASA, Oct. 28 (Chinese media) -- The worst snowy weather

that has gripped the eastern part of Tibet Autonomous Region since Sunday has

worsened the situation in the October quake zones, but aid has been flowing into

the region.

Temperature in Damxung, an outer county in Lhasa, the

regional capital, and also the worst hit area by the 6.6-magnitude quake

ofOct.6, has dropped below zero degrees centigrade, after snow started to fall

Sunday.

Tibetan women receive relief zanba (roasted highland barley flour) from a

neighborhood committee of Lhasa in snow-covered Damxung County, southwest China's

Tibet Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2008.The worst snowy weather that has gripped

the eastern part of Tibet Autonomous Region since Sunday has worsened the

situation in the October quake zones, but aid has been flowing into the

region.(Chinese media Photo)
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And it started to snow in Yangyi Village, a village

in Damxung of where nine residents died, 18 injured and 171 homes were destroyed

in Oct.6 quake, early Monday, and by late night the snow was four centimeters

deep.

"There is no doubt quake survivors in Yangyi will

pass a warm winter: there is ample supply of necessities for life, alongside a

good stock of fodders for sheep and cattle in winter, and of firewood and cow

dung for making fire and keeping warmth," said Zhang Yiquan, deputy chief of

Damxung County Government.

Civil affairs departments in the plateau region were

busy sending relief materials such as tents and foodstuffs to quake zones in

Lhasa, as well as those in Xigaze and Shannan, two other areas bordering Lhasa,

to make sure that quake survivors could spend the winter with places to live,

and food to eat and clothes to wear, said Ren Hongru, an official with the

relief operation section of the civil affairs bureau of Tibet.

Tibetan men clean up the snow around

relief tents in the snow-covered Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet

Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2008. (Chinese media Photo)
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According to Ren, Tibet Autonomous Regional

Government has allocated 9.2 million yuan (about 1.31 million U.S. dollars) in

emergency relief fund for quake survivors in Tibet to well spend the winter.

Relief materials sent to quake zones in Lhasa, Xigaze

and Shannan include 2,430 tents and 2,120 cotton quilts, said Ren.

"Local civil affairs departments were told to pay

close attention to disasters caused by the snowstorm, especially damage

situation in quake zones, and to do a good job of storing up and transferring

work so that relief materials could reach victims once disasters do occur," said

Ren.

Tibet autonomous regional weather observatory claimed Tuesday the snowstorm that started to affect parts of Tibet Sunday was the worst of the kind since the plateau began to take weather records.

A Tibetan man cleans up the snow around relief tent in the snow-covered Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2008.(Chinese media Photo)
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The snowy weather will continue in most parts of

Tibet, but it will be on the wane from Thursday on, according to a forecast

given by the regional weather observatory Tuesday.

The heavy snow has left two people missing and

blocked roads in many places in Tibet. Armed police are struggling to clear

roads to restore traffic.

An avalanche, plus a landslide occurred again at 10 a.m. Tuesday on the Sichuan-Tibet road which had 160 km of sections covered with snow as of 9 p.m. Monday, according to Chen Jun, a leading armed police officer who was at site to oversee the work for restoring traffic on the trunk road to Tibet.

A bulldozer tries to clear the mud-rock

flow on the Sichuan-Tibet road in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous

Region, Oct. 28, 2008. At round 10:00 a.m. on Oct. 28, a snowslide hit the

Ranwugou section of Sichuan-Tibet road which has already been blocked due

to heavy snow, causing land collapse. No casualties have been reported.

(Chinese media Photo)
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