Extremely cold temperatures and blizzard conditions in late November resulted in the deaths of hundreds of livestock in Northern China and neighboring Mongolia, and seven construction workers in Altay, China.
China Daily reports that the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region’s meteorological bureau issued its highest-level warning for extreme cold at the end of November. However, the warning came too late for seven road workers who went missing and were found frozen to death in Altay, China.
After their vehicle became bogged down in snow as the workers headed to temporary shelter, eight workers began to walk back to the construction site after consulting with management. They apparently became lost in whiteout conditions, and by the time the eight workers were found buried in the snow, seven had succumbed to the extreme winter conditions.
China Daily and Yahoo News reported that during the same winter storm thousands of livestock and the traditional pastoral shepherds tending them became stranded as well, during a period when temperatures some areas dropped as low as minus -47℃. Hundreds of sheep and cattle froze to death according to the Xinhua News Agency.
“Hundreds of sheep and cattle were also reported dead or missing in China’s main pastoral area, as well as over 200 livestock fatalities in neighboring Mongolia,” said Yahoo News’ coverage of the story.
The sheep of the Kazakh herdsmen in Xinjiang all froze to death.The Xinjiang authorities systematically bankrupted Kazakh herders and forced them to abandon the grasslands, depriving the Kazakhs of the grasslands. pic.twitter.com/9PyF4NVZyv
— Serikzhan Bilash (@SerikzhanBilash) November 24, 2022