Freezing Weather hit the Chinese southeren provinces

The ministry of public affairs of China told that around 58,000 people have been left from their damaged homes, causing economic losses of US$ 203.8 million due to freeze rain across five provinces in southern China.

In the past few days, freezing rain has badly punched the provinces of Jiangxi, Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan and Guizhou, killing one person and more than 1,200 houses to collapse, the ministry added.

In southern China, where winter is relatively lenient, but this time due to severe weather, 142,400 hectares of crops have been devastated in these provinces that produce rice, timber and coal and caused financial losses of US$ 203.8 million as of Tuesday, the ministry reiterated.

According to the Xinhua news agency in only southwestern Guizhou province, 22,800 people were might to leave from their homes on Tuesday.

 The freezing weather and icy rain have paralyzed traffic and strained power networks in some areas followed of the huge migrations of people for the Solar New Year holiday next month.

Roads in Guizhou have been blocked in the past few days, leaving thousands stuck in their cars as almost all super highways in the province were closed, said the Guizhou Provincial Department of Transport.

On Tuesday, traffic gradually gone back to normal in Guizhou as all ice-covered highways reopened after being closed for over 30 hours. It has been warned by the Guizhou's provincial weather forecaster that it could take five more days for the cold and rainy weather to fall down.

The freezing weather across southern China caused power cuts and transport disorder, stopping many residents from spending the Lunar New Year with their families in early 2008. The interruption waved across the region, causing a brief spike in food prices.