By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, April 20 – The relief and rescue work in the earthquake hit region of Kyigudo (Yushu:Chinese) have been disrupted by heavy snowfall that has caused the traffic to halt and slowed delivery of relief materials, according to the state news agency Xinhua. The snowfall and thunder showers began to hit the area late last night, Xinhua cited a local weather expert.
In some parts, snow on the road accumulated to 4 centimeters in depth and in others, ice formed on the surface making it dangerous to drive on, Ma Yuancang, deputy head of Qinghai provincial meteorology bureau, told Xinhua.
Vehicles are stranded on the main national road linking the quake affected area with the provincial capital of Xining, from where most of the relief materials are transported into Kyigudo. Ma said the weather in Kyigudo, the hardest-hit town in Yushu near the quake’s epicenter, will remain overcast Tuesday with some lights shower.
Temperature in Gyegu might nosedive below freezing point in the coming nights, weather forecasters said.
Kyigudo is located at an altitude of 3,700 meters above sea level and more than 80 percent of the houses there — mostly made of mud and wood — had collapsed during last Wednesday’s quakes, with the strongest measuring 7.1 in magnitude (US geological survey puts it at 6.9). Thousands of Tibetans have been camped outside in makeshift tents. The Chinese government said the death toll had climbed to 2,046 as of Tuesday but exile Tibetans who claim to have talked to people in the region say around ten thousand people have died.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government declared Wednesday April 21 as national mourning day as “a mark of respect for those killed” in the quake. However, exile Tibetans say that though China’s gesture is worth appreciating it should invite the Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama to the quake hit area as urged through a letter by the Tibetans in the area. “If China cares about the sentiments of the Tibetans they should let the Dalai Lama visit the area and pray for the dead and offer comfort to the survivors. That’s what the Tibetans there want, ” said Logah(named changed on request), a Tibetan native of Kyigudo now settled here in exile.
The Tibetan leader Dalai Lama Saturday expressed eagerness to visit the quake affected areas of Qinghai province to offer his prayers for those killed and comfort the victims and survivors of the earthquake.
