BEIJING: According to China's state media, municipal authorities reported that an avalanche struck a roadway in mountainous Tibet, resulting in the deaths of eight people and the disappearance of a number of others late Wednesday.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the snowslide occurred at the tunnel's exit on a highway that connects Nyingchi, a city in Medog County, with Mainling County, which is in southeastern Tibet.
Xinhua reported that municipal officials in Nyingchi, which is situated 3,040 meters (roughly 10,000 feet) above sea level, stated that the avalanche had entrapped individuals in their vehicles and that a rescue operation was in the process of searching for those who had gone missing.
The number of individuals still missing from the Tuesday evening incident was unknown.
According to China's Global Times newspaper, China's Ministry of Emergency Management sent a disaster response team to Tibet on Wednesday and called for comprehensive rescue and verification efforts.
The Himalayas are not unheard of for avalanches. An avalanche struck a mountaineering group on Mount Draupadi ka Danda-II in Uttarakhand, India, in October, killing at least 26 people.