Evacuation underway for stranded tourists after multiple avalanches trap 1,000 people in China

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese state media says that rescuers are evacuating tourists from a remote skiing area in the country’s northwest where dozens of avalanches triggered by heavy snow have trapped more than 1,000 people for a week. The avalanches have blocked roads, stranding both tourists and residents in a village in Altay prefecture in the Xinjiang region, close to China’s border with Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan. Those injured were being airlifted out on a military helicopter while supplies such as food and fuel were being flown in. State broadcaster CCTV said a snow-blocked road linking Hemu village to major roads was cleared on Tuesday, enabling vehicles to enter and tourists to drive themselves out.