25 Killed in Bus Crash As Ice And Snow Batter China
From International Herald Tribune:
Some of the worst winter weather to hit southern China in decades took 25 more lives Tuesday when a bus plunged off an icy road, adding to the chaos the snowstorms have caused during the nation’s peak travel season.
Numerous cities suffered blackouts as heavy snowfalls caused power lines to snap and hampered the delivery of coal, which is used to generate most of China’s electricity. Around 50 deaths have been blamed on the weather.
The storms also stranded travelers, among them hundreds of thousands of migrant workers heading home for the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins Feb. 7. For many migrants, the holiday is their only chance to visit their families, and by Tuesday many had given up.
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visited Changsha, capital of central Hunan Province, which has suffered its heaviest snowfall levels since 1954, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Origin: AP, AP
