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Heavy Snowfall in Tibet Kills one, Injures More Than 2,000
[WTN-L World Tibet Network News. Published by The Canada Tibet Committee. Issue ID: 05/02/28; February 28, 2005.]
(Xinhua) Xinhua is the official press agency of the Peoplešs Republic of China
BEIJING, Feb 27 (AFP) - Heavy snowfall in a remote mountainous part of southwestern Tibet has claimed the life of at least one person and left 2,481 injured, mostly with frostbite, state media reported Sunday.
The massive snowfall has also killed 24,000 head of livestock in 10 counties where animal husbandry forms an essential part of the local economy, Xinhua news agency reported.
"A large number of livestock starved or froze to death because of the heavy snowfall," a civil affairs official told Xinhua.
"This may have a great effect on the local people's lives because raising livestock is their main means of livelihood," the official said.
Tibetan government departments have allocated 18 million yuan (2.2 million dollars) for disaster relief in the area around Shigatse city, according to Xinhua.
It said the central government had earmarked another four million (480,000 dollars) to ensure affected herdsmen have enough food for the rest of the winter.