Snowstorms affect 256,000 people in central China
January 25th, 2012 - 12:19 am ICT by IANSBeijing, Jan 24 (IANS) About 256,000 people have been affected in the remote mountainous regions of China’s Hunan province due to snow and freezing weather since last week, the authorities said Tuesday, Xinhua reported.
According to Tian Shengyong, an official with the civil affairs bureau in the province’s Zhangjiajie city, the snow, which commenced Jan 21 has disrupted drinking water supplies.
It has also caused risks to the power supply system and turned the roads slippery in several townships.
About 256,000 residents in the remote regions have been affected and 600 rooms collapsed or have damaged, said Tian.
The storms also forced relocation of over 1,000 people and damaged 5,100 hectares of crops, causing a direct economic loss of 28 million yuan (about $4.5 million), the official said.
The civil affairs bureau has sent firewood, clothing, quilts, pork and cooking oil to elderly people living in nursing homes, Tian said.
- Over 750,000 hit by storms in China - May 01, 2012
- 100,000 snowed in people evacuated in southwest China - Jan 12, 2011
- 118 dead in China floods (Lead) - Jul 14, 2010
- 30 dead in China storm - May 11, 2012
- Hailstorms in China leave 29 dead, devastate homes - Apr 22, 2012
- 86 killed, thousands relocated in China rainstorms - May 14, 2010
- 25,000 affected by snowfall in China - Mar 23, 2012
- Freezing cold sweeps China - Jan 26, 2012
- China quake toll rises to 25 - Mar 11, 2011
- 55,000 evacuated as fresh floods hit China - Jun 15, 2011
- Typhoon Megi gains strength, approaches south China - Oct 21, 2010
- Six dead in China rains - Jul 09, 2010
- Hailstorms kill six in China - May 13, 2012
- 15 die as rain, floods wreak havoc in China (Lead) - Jul 09, 2010
- Storms bring down 1,500 houses in China - Nov 08, 2011
Tags: affairs bureau, central china, china beijing, civil affairs, cooking oil, crops, drinking water supplies, economic loss, hectares, hunan province, jan 21, jan 24, mountainous regions, nursing homes, power supply system, regions of china, townships, xinhua, yuan, zhangjiajie