Tibetannet

LHASA, March 31 (Xinhua) -- China's highest-altitude mask factory has been put into operation Monday in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The mask factory is located in the city of Nagqu, where the average elevation reaches about 4,500 meters above sea level.

The 400-square-meter factory was built by engineers from eastern Zhejiang Province. With an investment of 4 million yuan (about 564,000 U.S. dollars), the factory can produce up to 120,000 masks per day, according to Ngoezhub, who's in charge of the plant.

"The mask production line will greatly ease the shortage of masks in the area, and provide sufficient epidemic prevention materials for Nagqu to help resume work and production," said Li Dong, an official in Nagqu, adding the local government will hire local people to work in the factory, in an effort to increase their incomes.

So far, the factory has employed 15 local residents. It received an order for 550,000 masks on Monday.