Shimla, Sept. 30 -- Around 2,000 sheep and goats are feared buried under snow amid heavy snowfall in the high-altitude reaches of Kinnaur district.

Revenue, horticulture, and tribal development minister Jagat Singh Negi, on Wednesday, said a rescue team has reached the Rupin Pass to assess the extent of the livestock losses.

"Heavy snowfall occurred in the high-altitude areas of Kinnaur on September 27 as shepherds were crossing the Rupin Pass with their herds toward winter pastures. Because of the sudden weather shift, a large number of sheep and goats are said to have been buried under the snow," Negi said, adding that exact casualty figures remain unconfirmed as the terrain is blanketed under several feet of snow.

"I directed the su...