Local government sources said on Saturday that nearly 4,600 heads of livestock have frozen to death after continuous snowfall hit Xigaze Prefecture in the southwest of the Tibet Autonomous Region over the past two weeks.

Transport between five counties has also been blocked due to the snow, according to the prefectural government.

"Most of the dead livestock are young, including that of a new breed of goat imported as an income-generating project. We are currently working on policies to help herders out of difficulty," said an official from Gyirong County, which was hit hardest.

The prefectural government has set up a disaster-relief work team and members have gone to different counties to investigate the damage caused by the heavy snow and monitor rescue work.

By Friday morning, relief supplies, including tents, forage grass and food, had been sent to most of the affected areas, according to the prefectural government.  

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2005)