Rescuers have found most herdsmen trapped in the snowstorm which began in northwest China's Gansu Province Saturday.

A total of 254 herdsmen were trapped in the snowstorm in Yumen city, under the jurisdiction of Jiuquan city. As of 11:00 AM Tuesday, 250 of them have been found, said the General Office of Gansu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.

A total of 131 people from Subei Mongol Autonomous County, Jiuquan city, were trapped and 128 of them have either been found by rescuers or by fellow herdsmen.

Rescuers were still out searching for the seven missing herdsmen, it said.

Statistics of Jiuquan Municipal Government show that the snowstorm has affected 191,000 people, trapped 350,000 sheep, killed 29,000 head of livestock and caused a direct economic loss of 76.52 million yuan (US$11.2 million).

(Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2010)