The death toll from an avalanche that struck a road in mountainous Tibet this week has risen to 20, state television reported Friday.

The snowslide occurred Tuesday evening at the exit of a tunnel on a highway in southeastern Tibet, trapping a number of people in their vehicles.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management sent a disaster response team to the region the following day.

State media reported Friday that authorities had now placed the death toll at 20, with eight people still missing.

"At present, the rescue work is still ongoing," state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing rescue authorities.

The Duoxiongla Tunnel was shrouded in cloudy weather but it was not hindering rescue work, CCTV added.

Avalanches are common in the Himalayas, home to the world's highest mountains.

In October at least 26 people died when a mountaineering expedition was caught in an avalanche on Mount Draupadi ka Danda-II in India's northern state of Uttarakhand.

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At least eight dead in Tibet avalanche; as cold snap kills 70 in Afghanistan
Beijing (AFP) Jan 18, 2023
Eight people were killed and multiple others remained missing late Wednesday after an avalanche struck a roadway in mountainous Tibet, municipal authorities said according to China's state media. Xinhua News Agency reported that the snowslide occurred at the exit of a tunnel on a highway leading from Nyingchi city in Medog County to Mainling County in southeastern Tibet. Municipal officials in Nyingchi, at 3,040 metres (roughly 10,000 feet) above sea level, said the avalanche trapped people in ... read more