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Thousands stranded as snow returns to southern China

Almost 180,000 people have been stranded in Yunnan Province by a return of snow and freezing weather that has blocked roads and caused blackouts, state media said yesterday.

More than 14,000km of roads have been affected and 20,000 vehicles are stuck, Xinhua news agency said.

"The provincial transport department has organized a repair working force to ensure smooth road travel, especially the transport of important equipment and materials," Xinhua said.

"However, the repairs were greatly hampered by the plateau climate, poor facilities and shortage of money. The workers do not even have special anti-freeze or snow removing facilities," it said.

Like much of southern and southwestern China, Yunnan had slowly been recovering from unseasonably cold, snowy weather which brought transport to a near standstill and left millions without power.

But snow returned to Yunnan on Thursday, Xinhua said.

The government is also struggling to bring the electricity grid back up in the city of Qujing.

A government statement said that as of Saturday night power had been restored to 23.28 million people, accounting for 88.9 percent of those who suffered from blackouts.

Also see: ANALYSIS: China analysts say weather will fuel inflation
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