Rains wash out a highway in China’s Tibet region, stranding 130 people

BEIJING (AP) — Rescue efforts were underway Wednesday for more than 130 people including some tourists who were trapped in a mountainous town in China’s Tibet region after heavy rains and flooding washed away sections of a provincial highway, China’s state media said.

Those trapped also included migrant workers and business people, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Another 342 stranded people had been relocated earlier to nearby towns.

Steady rain since Saturday blocked roads, CCTV said, and the surging waters of the Nadang river caused severe landslides and mudslides. Power and communication was cut off from Chengtang town, but emergency communication was later restored.

The broadcaster reported that people were trapped because of road damage, the rainfall and a “lack of physical strength” after long-distance hiking. The town, on the southern slope of the Himalayas near the border with Nepal, has an average altitude of 2,000 meters and is in an area known for hot springs and hiking.

Rain was forecast through Thursday, adding difficulty to the rescue work, CCTV said.