A group of 13 travellers stranded since last weekend on a small island in Tibet were finally rescued on Friday afternoon.

Rescue teams reached the group at 5:24 pm on an island 5,000 metres above sea level and 600 kilometres away from Ari in northwestern Tibet.

Earlier reports stated there were 16 members in the stranded party,consisting of 13 journalists, two drivers and a guide. However, three individuals withdrew for medical reasons earlier this month before entering Tibet.

The health of the team members had been deteriorating as a result of long hours spent outdoors, and six members have caught cold, said Ding Ming, general manager of Guiyang Laiguishan Wine Co, which sponsored the expedition.

There were only several bottles of water left when rescuers found the travellers, who were trapped on the island after their trucks got stuck while trying to forge a river last Saturday, said Ding.

About 40 rescuers from an army team of nearby Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and an armed police unit from Ari helped get the supply trucks out of the river on Friday.

Several members of the expedition are already planning to cross the river to finish their journey, which is regarded as a breakthrough in science and adventure.

A huge amount of material has been collected on the two-month expedition, which is aimed at upgrading maps and collecting geologic and geographic information.

It could take the party at least five days to reach Ari from the rescue site, and another five to reach Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Ding said.

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