Armed police force clears snow-blanketed major artery in Ngari prefecture, southeast Xizang Autunomous Region. Photo:PLA Daily

As of Sunday noon, traffic on the Sichuan-Xizang Highway and Xinjiang-Xizang Highway, which was blocked by heavy snowfall in Ngari prefecture of Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, has resumed after four days of hard work by the armed police force. All the stranded vehicles and personnel passed through the area safely and smoothly.

The armed police force in Xizang rushed to the scene with snow throwers, ice breakers, loaders, and other large equipment to clear a major artery. A total of 114 kilometers of roads were reopened, and more than 68,000 cubic meters of snow were cleared. 

The Xinjiang-Xizang Highway is a part of China National Highway 219 (G219) that runs along the entire southwestern border. 

The road affected by the snowstorm is located in Ngari prefecture' Purang County, southwest of Xizang Autonomous Region, bordering India and Nepal in the south.

Since February 3, heavy snowfall has hit Ngari prefecture in Xizang due to a sudden drop in temperature, causing heavy snow on several sections of the Sichuan-Xizang Highway and Xinjiang-Xizang Highway.

Among them, the K3888 section and the G564 Laangcuo section of the Xinjiang-Xizang Highway in the south of Ngari prefecture had an average snow depth of nearly 20 cm. Some parts of roads were even blocked by drifts of snow for as deep as 50 cm.

The heavy snowfall coincided with the Spring Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday for family reunions. The armed police swiftly cleared ice and snow and local residents were able to go home.

Global Times