LEAD: Snowstorms cause travel chaos in China

BEIJING, Jan. 28 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING FIGURES)

China issued its most severe weather warning Monday ahead of snowstorms predicted to hit southern, central and eastern China, with hundreds of thousands of travelers already stranded around the country as they try to make their way home for the Chinese New Year holiday.

A statement issued by China Meteorological Administration said that more heavy snow is likely in the coming days and that people should avoid going out as much as possible.

State television broadcast pictures Monday of huge crowds gathered outside Guangzhou railway station, stranded after dozens of trains were either delayed or cancelled due to the bad weather.

The official Xinhua News Agency said similar travel problems are happening across eastern and southern China, with 40,000 passengers stranded at stations along the Guangzhou to Beijing line alone.

The bad weather has led to the deaths of 24 people over the past week, Xinhua reported, mainly in road accidents or through makeshift buildings collapsing under the weight of snow.

Heavy snow has also disrupted power supplies in some areas, with electricity pylons brought down, state media reported.

Xinhua said the cold snap has led to direct economic losses of about 22.09 billion yuan (about $3 billion).

Tens of millions of Chinese return to their hometowns in the weeks leading up to Chinese New Year, which begins on Feb. 7 this year, one of the largest mass migrations of people on Earth.

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