China beefs up relief efforts after unusually heavy snow

Source: Xinhua | 01-22-2008 18:52

BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- China has beefed up disaster alleviation work as an usual heavy snow claimed at least 17 lives and caused widespread traffic disruption in large parts of the country.

The death toll increased by two after a car collided with a truck on a ice-covered road on Monday night at Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei, leaving two dead and five others injured.

Before that, six people were confirmed dead in buildings collapsed by bad weather in Hubei and Anhui provinces and nine others died in weather-related traffic accident in Hubei.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs was keeping a close eye on the snow-triggered disaster in the provinces of Anhui and Hubei, the worst-hit area, and was ready to launch a national emergency plan on natural disaster relief when needed, said the ministry at its website (www.mca.gov.cn).

The Emergency Management Office of the State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a notice on Monday, asking all localities to pay high attention to the effects of the snow and rain.

Premier Wen Jiabao has ordered the governments to help the people in a practical and effective way, said the notice.

Local government were also ordered to strengthen meteorological monitoring and to release details to the public in time.

The heavy snow, which has not been seen in many places for a decade, hit most parts of the country since Jan. 12, leaving houses collapsed, power supply cut off, highway transportation suspended and crops destroyed.

The snow affected more than 10 million people in Hubei and Anhui with more than 1 million hectares of crop destroyed , causing losses of 1.43 billion yuan and 400 million yuan respectively, according to the civil affairs departments.

The provincial government of the two provinces have both sent task forces to the affected areas to direct rescue operation and investigate damage.

"All the homeless people and those in at-risk buildings have been evacuated and appropriately accommodated -- either living at their relatives or staying at government-provided shelters," said an official with Hubei Provincial Civil Affairs Department, who declined to be identified.

Hubei has allocated 17.2 million yuan and in subsidies for people affected and Anhui raised more than 86 million yuan of relief fund.

The departments of civil affairs have sent 105,000 items of cotton-padded clothes and quilts to affected areas.

Wuhan opened 13 charity supermarkets to provide free food and winter clothes to affected citizens.

According to the National Meteorological Center (NMC), the snow was waning, but it would stage a comeback on Friday after a short Thursday break.

"Sichuan, Hubei, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangji and Anhui will face another round of test, governments in these area should be on high alert," said Bi Baogui, deputy NMC head. (1 U.S.dollar=7.241 yuan)

Editor:Zhang Ning