Massive cleanup after blizzards in central, east China

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Central and east China are experiencing their heaviest snowfalls so far this winter. The snowstorm began on Wednesday, leaving drivers stranded, damaging houses and causing power outages.

Thousands of workers have been battling the extreme cold to try to make the cities safer for others.

Sanitation workers in Xi'an /VCG Photo

Early Friday morning, more than 113,000 sanitation workers in Xi'an in northwest China's Shaanxi Province were out removing snow from the roads.

The snowstorm gave the city a white new year, as well as slippery streets. A local hospital said it had treated more than 640 patients within 48 hours because of injuries from falls.

Similar scenes occurred in the city of Nanjing, in east China's Jiangsu Province.

Driving has become quite difficult for citizens in central China. /VCG Photo

From Thursday evening to Friday, over 10,000 municipal workers and 1,200 vehicles were sent out to clear the roads. The local government also sent 10,000 letters to residents asking them to join the army of sweepers.

"In the morning, I saw many soldiers, sanitation workers and even citizens clearing the snow. I thank them," said a local resident.

In Wangcang county, in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the heavy snow caused power outages in mountainous areas. On Saturday morning, local electric technicians began urgent repairs as soon as the snow stopped.

Sanitation workers clearing the snow /VCG Photo

In Zezhou county of north China's Shanxi Province, the extreme weather has stranded dozens of trucks on the 207 national highway.

Since Thursday afternoon, all expressways in nearby regions have been closed. The staff canteen for local police prepared free food for stranded people. A Henan bus driver posted about his experience on his WeChat Moments. "Shanxi Province is well-known for delicious noodles nationwide. But this bowl of noodles is particularly tasty for me," he wrote.

Heavy snow has fallen in central and eastern China. /VCG Photo

On Saturday, China's weather authorities issued a blue warning for blizzards. According to the authorities, the heavy snowfall will continue into Sunday morning, covering most of Henan Province and parts of Anhui and Hebei Provinces. The powerful storm could dump 10 more centimeters of snow across these areas.

Authorities explained that the heavy snow is influenced by the warm and humid air from the Bay of Bengal in the southwest and the cold air in the north.