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January 11, 2013

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Thousands suffer in the south as freeze continues

MORE than 420,000 people in southwest China's Guizhou Province have been severely affected by freezing weather, local authorities said yesterday.

The provincial meteorological department said that temperatures in 59 counties had dropped below zero and 37 counties had seen snowfall.

Lingering cold along with freezing rain and snow had affected 425,300 people in 17 counties and forced local governments to relocate 5,044 people, according to provincial authorities.

The province's direct economic losses due to the cold are estimated to be more than 73.6 million yuan (US$11.8 million), mostly in farming.

Local governments have set up dozens of rescue stations to offer relief goods including food and clothes to people in need.

The National Meteorological Center said yesterday that snow, rain and freezing temperatures will continue to hit southern China over the next few days.

From yesterday to Saturday, light to moderate snow or sleet will affect the provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan and Yunnan, as well as parts of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and northeast China, the center said.

In Nanping City, in southeast Fujian Province, icy weather since December 31 disrupted electricity supplies to more than 10,000 households.

Power was restored yesterday after 1,300 workers cleared ice from power lines and repaired substations.

The cold weather damaged large swathes of farmland and severely affected more than 160,000 people in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and 379,000 in Guizhou Province. In Guangxi, freezing weather since January 4 damaged nearly 20,000 hectares of crops and caused direct economic losses of 84 million yuan, according to local officials.

China's central government yesterday sent vital relief supplies to those most badly affected.

A total of 2,000 tents, 40,000 quilts and 40,000 cotton coats have been dispatched to the provinces in the south.


 

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