Fears are mounting for the safety of 863 herders and their family members from the pastoral south of Qinghai Province, northwest China, who have been cut off for a week after heavy snow.

Pema Gya, deputy government chief of Madoi County, an area hit hard by the snowy weather, said while supplies might be running low with the stranded herders, the 32 tonnes of fodders the government departments had prepared could not be sent over until road traffic is resumed.

No fatalities are reported yet.

It snowed consecutively from Oct.27 through to Nov.5 in two Tibetan-inhabited areas of Yushu and Golog, both of which are in the high mountains in southern Qinghai.

Adewon, a worker with the civil affairs bureau of Golog Tibet Autonomous Prefecture, however, said the worst hit were Madoi, Gade, Darlag counties, and the snow in some areas was as deep as 18 centimeters.

The snow has not yet thawed, said a report from the civil affairs department of Madoi.

"Traffic has been cut off as thick snow blocked roads to townships including Huashixia, Machali, Huanghe and Zhalinghu, and the roads have remained icy," said Pema.

According to Pema, 289 households there, with 863 herders and their family members, alongside 27,052 livestock have been trapped since the snow fell.

Pema added they had rented three snowblowers and would soon start to clear the ice and snow on the roads if enough workers could be hired.

(Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2008)