The landslide happened at about 6 am in Maizhokunggar county of Lhasa, the regional capital. The victims were workers from Tibet Huatailong Mining Development Co Ltd, a subsidiary of the China National Gold Group Corporation.
As the site is at an altitude of more than 4,600 meters, most rescuers have been suffering from slight altitude sickness, according to one member of the group. Further minor landslides have hampered their efforts. And temperatures as low as minus three degrees Celsius have also affected the sniffer dogs' senses of smell.
He said the miners' survival chances were slim due to the scale of the landslide.
The affected area is 3 km wide, covered with about 2 million cubic meters of mud, rock and debris, a Xinhua reporter said from the disaster site.
SOURCE: Chinadaily
