More than 3,000 troops, armed police and militia members have been sent to rescue 83 workers buried in a massive landslide in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

At about 6 a.m. on Friday, the landslide struck a workers' camp of the Jiama Copper Polymetallic Mine in Maizhokunggar County, about 68 km from Lhasa, the regional capital.

Responding to the rescue order, base troops rushed from Lhasa and Maizhokunggar to the accident site at an altitude of 4,600 meters, taking more than 30 engineering machines for the operation.

Meanwhile, more than 100 transport vehicles loaded with relief goods, including fuel, power generation assemblies, rice and tents, have been dispatched to the site.

A medical team composed of about 40 army medical staff also arrived to aid the rescue.

(Xinhua News Agency March 30, 2013)