After two days of clearance operations, the capital city of
Liaoning Province is returning to normal, following severe
snowstorms that hit the city and many other parts of northeast
China over the weekend.
The majority of the city's 900,000 middle and primary school
students returned to classrooms yesterday. They had been forced to
stay home for two days as the storms, the worst in 56 years,
paralyzed the city.
Those in the suburban areas will have to wait for a few more
days before clearing up operations can be completed.
"All arteries, highways and the airport are now open," an
official surnamed Li from the Shenyang Public Emergency Office
said.
In Shenyang, a city of 7.5 million, the snowstorms caused major
disruption to traffic, airline schedules and the railway.
Taoxian International Airport was enveloped in snow and closed
for almost 50 hours. And all 11 expressways in Liaoning Province
were closed for more than 48 hours.
A total of 10 people were killed in accidents in the region.
Among them, five died as two tower cranes collapsed in Dalian in
Liaoning Province. Two commercial buildings also collapsed, killing
three people in Shenyang.
On Sunday, the Shenyang government was forced to declare a state
of emergency and enforce emergency measures. Local authorities
mobilized firefighters, soldiers and public servants to help in the
massive snow removal operations.
Yu Dongyang, chief of Shenyang traffic police, said all 1,880
police officers have been on duty over the past few days.
All companies and residents were also asked to clear the snow
around their buildings.
Residents can expect a light snowfall on Sunday night, according
to the weather service.
Li from the Emergency Office said it would not have a major
impact on traffic.
"The only problem is how to deal with the piles of snow in the
city. We can do nothing but wait for warmer weather," he said.
The snowstorms, however, have helped ease the spring drought
that has plagued provinces in the region in the past few months,
said Zhang Lixiang, deputy director of the Liaoning Provincial
Meteorological Bureau.
Liaoning Province has experienced its warmest winter in 56
years, leaving large tracts of farmland parched.
(China Daily March 8, 2007)