Tourists Stranded in Tibet Amid Landslides and Floods

Over 130 people, including tourists, are trapped in Tibet near China's Himalayan border with Nepal following continuous rain that caused landslides and floods, cutting off road access. While 342 have been evacuated by rescuers, the rest remain stranded in Zhentang due to poor weather and difficult terrain.

More than 130 people, including tourists, were trapped in Tibet near China's rugged Himalayan border with Nepal on Wednesday after incessant rains unleashed landslides and floods, severing road links, according to Chinese state media. Many sections of a major highway leading to the remote Tibetan town of Zhentang were either washed away by floods or blocked by landslides amid continuous rainfall since Sunday, Chinese state media reported.

So far, 342 stranded people have been evacuated to other towns by rescuers. However, at least 130, including tourists, remain stranded in the vicinity of Zhentang, which lies at an altitude of about 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), due to blocked roads, ongoing rains, and "a lack of physical strength" because of the long distances they would need to traverse, according to state media.

State media warned that storms in the area through Thursday will create "a degree of difficulty" in rescue work. National weather forecasters expect moderate to heavy rainfall in southwest China, including parts of Tibet, Sichuan, and Yunnan.

(With inputs from agencies.)