Snowstorms in Xinjiang kill livestock, disrupt lives

URUMQI - Continuous snowstorms in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have killed more than 300 livestock and disrupted the lives of 13,000 people, the local government said Saturday.

So far, 900 people have been relocated after heavy snowstorms and snowslides have toppled 150 houses and damaged another 4,630 in seven counties or cities of the region's Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Ili, according to a statement issued by the prefecture government.

"It snowed almost every day during the Spring Festival holiday, and the accumulated snow crushed the cattle barn and the vehicle shed," said Ma Shaorong, a resident with the prefecture's Yining City.

Eight people were injured in 25 avalanches along the highway between Sayram and Guozigou, two tourism resorts, between January 27 and February 1. It snowed continuously for 119 hours and reached up to 2 meters near Guozigou, said the statement.

According to the weather department of Xinjiang, further snow is expected in the following days in the northern part of the region.