Parts of Tibet and neighbouring Qinghai have been affected with unusually cold weather and heavy snowstorms since September. More than 100,000 herd of livestock are reported to have died. Now the Xinhua says there may be human casualties too. It reported that 217 nomadic herding families had gone missing in southern Qinghai, though it gave no further details.

And with temperatures plunging to as low as -40°c, it said 7,300 people had been hurt or fallen ill. Two of the worst affected prefectures have been declared disaster zones and 1000 troops have been sent to help with relief efforts.

The report also said that 500 troops were now involved in the rescue work in parts of Tibet. Independent accounts of spoken of shortages of food and fuel, made worse by the death of animals whose dung is normally used as fuel for heating.