ULAN BATOR, Feb.12 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolian authorities said Wednesday that they are working to retrieve the bodies of about 140 cattle that fell into a frozen lake in western Mongolia late last year.
Forty-four bodies of cattle that had fallen into the Oigon lake in the Zavkhan province were recovered on Tuesday, said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in a statement.
More than 60 people including NEMA rescue workers and local officials participated in the retrieval at the lake, which had a maximum depth of 8 meters, it said, adding the efforts will continue in the coming days.
Livestock husbandry is Mongolia's economic pillar, supporting the livelihood of nearly 40 percent of its nomad population.
Official data show the landlocked East Asian country has more than 230,000 herder households with livestock nationwide. The livestock animals totaled over 70 million by the end of 2019.
