CHINA:China's worst blizzards in half a century have brought the world's biggest annual human migration to a standstill, leaving millions of migrant workers stranded before the week-long festival to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Icy temperatures, snow and sleet across southern, central and eastern China closed railways, motorways and airports, and blizzards have destroyed or damaged three-quarters of a million homes. At least 55 people have died. Heavy snow has also cut power lines, destroyed crops and killed livestock.
"We're facing challenges that are unprecedented in 50 years," said Zhu Hongren, spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission, the state planning agency. "We haven't passed the most difficult time."
In the struggle to deal with the crisis, the government has deployed 158,000 People's Liberation Army soldiers, 300,000 militia and one million police officers to clear ice, restore power and ensure calm - there are fears of riots, as discontented travellers vent their frustrations.
The bad weather could not have come at a worse time.
Over 200 million migrant workers travel between the cities and their homes in the countryside to be with their families for the festival.
Premier Wen Jiabao used a megaphone to reassure stranded travellers in the train station in Changsha in the central province of Hunan, one of the hardest-hit areas.
"We are now doing our best to fix things up and when the electricity network is back, then the trains can run, so it will not be long before you can all go back home to celebrate the new year," Mr Wen told cheering crowds.
Heavy snow has made getting coal and food to stranded passengers difficult. Fuel stockpiles have been dangerously low and there have been concerns about an escalating energy crisis.
The holiday starts on February 7th and goes on officially for a week, although many people stay away for much longer as it is the only chance they get to see their families during the year.
The movement of such a large number of people always puts huge pressure on the country's transport network. China's rail ministry was expecting nearly 180 million passengers between January 23rd and March 2nd. At least 15 airports have been closed at various times. Authorities in Guangdong have advised two-thirds of the province's 30 million migrant workers to stay in the cities.
Some 600,000 rail passengers are stranded in Guangzhou because the southern end of the Beijing-Guangzhou rail line is blocked by heavy snow in Hunan.
Meteorologists say the bad weather could continue to affect the regions until February 2nd. So far, the capital Beijing has remained unaffected by the blizzards.