Copters rescue hundreds trapped in Xinjiang avalanches
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| Two helicopters were dispatched on Friday morning to rescue hundreds of people trapped in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region hit by a series of avalanches since Sunday. [CFP] |
![Two helicopters were dispatched on Friday morning to rescue hundreds of people trapped in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region hit by a series of avalanches since Sunday. [CFP]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20100227/001fd04cea510cf2d35c0a.jpg "Two helicopters were dispatched on Friday morning to rescue hundreds of people trapped in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region hit by a series of avalanches since Sunday. [CFP]")
Two helicopters were dispatched on Friday morning to rescue hundreds of people trapped in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region hit by a series of avalanches since Sunday, Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.
At least seven people have lost their lives and more than 120,000 people have been directly affected by the disaster, which has caused a direct economic loss of 150 million yuan ($22 million) so far, the local bureau of civil affairs said.
The mission for the helicopters is to air drop food, medical supplies and communication equipment, and to rescue 129 people trapped in Kazak autonomous prefecture in Ili, including 29 mineworkers reportedly trapped in an iron mine in Nilka county, Xinhua reported.
The helicopters will also fly to the nearby Hejing county of Bayingolin Mongolian autonomous prefecture to rescue 276 herders trapped there.
Ili Ismail, vice-director of the general office of the Xinjiang autonomous regional government, told Xinhua Thursday that rescuers can get useful information about the location and situation of those trapped from helicopters and provide food and medicine to them.
The official, who is also the commander-in-chief for on-site rescue operations, added that children, senior citizens and women will be rescued first, Xinhua reported.
The rescue headquarters first sent a helicopter on Thursday to rescue more than 100 mineworkers trapped in a coal mine, about 20 km from avalanche-hit Ili Kazak, but the helicopter could not locate a landing spot and left after dropping some food and a satellite phone.
Authorities from the county's work safety department told Xinhua that a 3.7-magnitude earthquake struck Nilka county at around 5:51 pm on Tuesday.
Rescuers are also clearing snow from roads leading to Nilka and Hejing counties.
The seven people found dead in the avalanches include two herdsmen in Bayingolin's Hejing county, two children in Ili Kazak's Xinyuan county and one iron ore miner, his wife and daughter, Xinhua reported.
This winter, Xinjiang has been experiencing the heaviest snow and coldest temperatures in decades. The public has been warned that due to a large amount of accumulated snow, the warmer temperatures in spring may bring severe floods and avalanches to the region.
The local meteorological bureau forecast fresh snow in northern Xinjiang.
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