Blizzards in China blanket villages

BEIJING — Blizzards in Tibetan areas of western China have left thousands of head of livestock dead and roads covered in up to 18 inches of snow, state media outlets reported Saturday.

Authorities had sent veterinarians, medicine and animal feed to the hard-hit areas in Qinghai province’s Yushu Tibetan area, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Villages are above 16,400 feet and workers were seeking to clear roads to ensure the delivery of supplies, a task made more difficult by high winds and drifting snow.

The mainly ethnic Tibetan villagers depend heavily on yaks, goats and sheep for their livelihoods and to feed their families.

Harsh winters are routine in the Himalayan region that long fell within Tibet’s traditional borders.

Snow also was expected in other parts of northern and central China, leading to some travel disruptions as millions of Chinese returned home after last week’s Lunar New Year holiday.