At least 6 killed in dust, snow storms in Mongolia

Photo: Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia

ULAN BATOR, March 15 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed in heavy dust and snow storms that swept through Mongolia over the weekend, the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Monday.

A total of 467 people were found alive among the 548 people who got lost in the storms, the NEMA said.

Unfortunately, five people were killed in the southern province of Dundgovi and a five-year-old child died in the central-western province of Arkhangai due to the storms.

Search for the remaining missing people was underway, the emergency agency said.

Many yurts and power lines were taken down in the storms in several provinces, especially in Dundgovi province, the agency added.

Dust and snowstorms are frequent in spring in Mongolia, which is one of the last nomadic countries in the world. Nearly 40 percent of the country's nomadic population depend on animal husbandry for their livelihood.