A snow storm from Siberia hit Mongolia at the weekend causing a massive power blackout across western parts of the country. Three people were  injured and 1600 livestock were lost in the storm.

Nearly 50 districts across the four western provinces were left without power. According to the Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 13 power lines with a capacity of 330 kW were torn down by the strong winds. NEMA specialists are working to restore electricity within 48 hours. Wind speeds reached 18-31 metres per second in Bayan-Ulgii, Khovd, Uvs and the Gobi-Altai provinces.

According to the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring, strong winds and heavy snow are expected to hit large parts of the country over the coming days.