IN BRIEF (Page 5)

Qinghai

Snowfall disrupts life in NW China

Persistent snowfall has disrupted the lives of more than 2,200 farmers and nomads in Northwest China's Qinghai province, blocking traffic and starving livestock, local authorities said on Wednesday. Eight townships in three counties, including Xunhua county, have been worst hit by lingering snow in the region since Friday, according to the provincial civil affairs department. In Xunhua's Gangca township, 2,085 residents experienced traffic problems, while more than 62,000 sheep and cattle have been unable to graze, as snow has covered roads, pastures and livestock folds. Local government workers are cleaning roads and distributing relief goods such as fodder and warm clothes to affected residents.