A heavy snow lasting 72 hours from April 13 to 16 hit the Henan Mongolia Autonomous County in northwestern Qinghai Province, leaving townships and villages in this county suffering from snow damages.

In Ningmute township and Kesheng township which were most severely hit by the snow, 800 hectares were severely afflicted, over 500 head of livestock died and some herdsmen were frostbit slightly. The direct economic loss is estimated at 236,900 (28,542US dollars).

According to sources with the local agricultural and animal husbandry departments, the average snowfall is 30 centimeters deep, with some areas reporting 45 centimeters.

As the deep snow cannot melt in a short period of time, livestock deaths due to food shortage are still amounting.

Some 5,000 kilograms of feeding stuff have been sent to the snow hit area to relieve the damages caused by the heavy snow.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2004)