Eight people were killed and many more were missing on Wednesday after an avalanche hit the mountains of Tibet, according to Chinese state media.
According to the Xinhua news agency, it happened at the exit of a tunnel on a road linking Nyingchi town in Medog county to Mainling county in southeastern Tibet.
An uncertain number of victims
Municipal officials in Nyingchi, a town 3,040 meters above sea level, said the avalanche trapped people in their vehicles and a rescue operation was underway for the missing, Xinhua reported. .
The number of people missing in the accident on Tuesday evening was uncertain.
China's Ministry of Emergency Management sent a response team to Tibet on Wednesday and called for large-scale rescue efforts.
He also asked to verify how many people were left stranded, according to Chinese newspaper Global Times.
Avalanches are not uncommon in the Himalayas.
In October, at least 26 people were killed in an avalanche on Mount Draupadi ka Danda-II in India's northern state of Uttarakhand.
