Heavy snow disrupts traffic on China-Nepal highway

Beijing - Heavy snow Thursday halted traffic on a section of the China-Nepal highway, which links southwest China's Tibet autonomous region and Nepal, said traffic officials.

According Zhao Chun, in charge of road maintenance work in Nyalam county, the section of the road, connecting the Nyalam county and Zhangmu township and located along the border between the two countries, was blanketed by up to two metres of snow.

It will take five days to clear the deep snow and resume traffic on the road, said Zhao, adding that clean-up efforts have been impeded by gales and low temperatures.

A snowstorm hit the county early Wednesday, bringing gales with speeds of up to 38 metres per second, said Dorji, director of the county's meteorological bureau.

Snow fall continued in the county Thursday. It is expected to lead to a temperature drop of 10 degrees Celsius, according to a forecast issued by regional weather authorities.

Meanwhile, a total of 55 people stranded on China's Xinjiang-Tibet highway since Tuesday following heavy snowfall have been rescued, a rescue team official said Thursday.

The highway is a major transport route linking Tibet to other parts of the country.