BEIJING (AP) — Rescue efforts began Wednesday for more than 130 people, including tourists, who were stranded in a mountain town in China’s Tibet region after heavy rains and flooding washed away parts of a provincial highway, Chinese state media reported.
The detainees also included migrant workers and businessmen, state broadcaster CCTV said. Another 342 stranded people had already been relocated to nearby towns.
The persistent rains since Saturday blocked roads, CCTV said, and rising waters from the Nadang River caused serious landslides and mudslides. Power and communications were cut from the town of Chengtang, but emergency communications were later restored.
The announcer said people were stranded by road damage, rain and a “lack of physical strength” after long hikes. The town, on the southern slope of the Himalayas near the border with Nepal, has an average elevation of 2,000 meters and is in an area known for hot springs and hiking.
According to CCTV, rain was forecast through Thursday, hampering rescue efforts.
