(ECNS) - Three members of two Chinese mountaineering teams have died and another remains missing after a blizzard struck during their descent from Mount Muztagh Ata in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, local sports authorities said.

The Xinjiang Sports Bureau said the two teams, which had received approval from the General Administration of Sport, reached the summit between July 3 and 4 before encountering a blizzard while descending from an altitude of about 7,300 meters.

Four climbers lost contact during the storm, according to a statement published by the bureau.

Rescue operations involving the national sports administration, the Xinjiang Sports Bureau and the Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture were launched immediately after the incident.

Three of the missing climbers were later found with no signs of life, while search efforts continue for the fourth climber.

(By Zhang Jiahao)