Tibet landslide death toll climbs to 20

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Amid an intense search for the people buried under a landslide in China’s southern Tibet region, authorities have confirmed the death of 20 people while eight others are still missing.

A deadly avalanche hit the city of Nyingchi in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region Tuesday.

“Search and rescue efforts have been stepped up as more emergency personnel and volunteers arrived at the scene and tried their best to find more survivors. A rescue channel was successfully excavated in the avalanche area on Thursday evening,” the Chinese daily Global Times reported.

The public security bureau in Nyingchi's Medog county had received calls about an avalanche at an exit of the Doxong La tunnel on the highway connecting Medog with Pai village in Nyingchi's Mainling county on Tuesday around 7:50 p.m. local time (1150GMT), trapping people and vehicles.

Local authorities dispatched 131 personnel and 28 vehicles to the scene overnight to rescue the victims.

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