BEIJING: Some tourists stranded for several days after avalanches hit highways leading to a popular winter tourism area in China’s northwest region of Xinjiang were lifted by helicopter to safety, according to local media.
Days of heavy snow at Altay Prefecture in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region triggered dozens of avalanches on large sections of highways at the Altay mountains leading to the Kanas scenic area.
Six kilometres of highways were buried, according to CCTV.
Altay, known for its ski resorts, is a popular destination for winter tourism. The snow and avalanches blocked many roads leading to Kanas, Hemu, Baihaba and other scenic spots in Burqin County, burying traffic and stranding tourists, Xinhua reported.
The Kanas scenic area management committee released a notice over the weekend saying stranded tourists would be provided accommodation free of charge.
The crew of an army aviation brigade in Xinjiang loaded fuel, generators, rice and other materials onto a helicopter headed to Kanas. The Kanas scenic area management committee said it had closed the area until Jan 20 due to the “recent extreme weather”. — Reuters
