Freak
China Snow and Sand Storm Kills 15 Explorers
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CHINA: May 17, 2005 |
BEIJING- A freak blizzard and sand storm killed 15 explorers in mountainous remote northwest China on Friday, the Xinhua news agency said on Monday.
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More than 70 explorers, hired by a company connected to oil giant China National Petroleum Corp., were working in Haixi prefecture in Qinghai province, bordering Tibet, when they were hit by a "heavy snowstorm, rainstorm and sandstorm simultaneously", Xinhua said. "Fifteen explorers were found dead and 13 others injured in the snowstorm which was unlikely to happen once in a century," an unnamed local official was quoted as saying. Rescue and investigation efforts were continuing, Xinhua said.
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE |