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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-22 20:47

China has beefed up disaster alleviation work as an unusually heavy snowfall claimed at least 17 lives and caused widespread traffic and power disruption.

The death toll increased by two after a car collided with a truck on an ice-covered road on Monday night in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province, leaving two dead and five others injured.

Before that, six people were confirmed dead in buildings collapsed by bad weather in Hubei and Anhui provinces and nine others died in weather-related traffic accidents in Hubei.

Two villagers make their way through the heavy snow in Yuexi County of Anhui Province, January 20, 2008. The provincal meteorological authority on Sunday issued an orange alert - the second-highest on a scale of five - for heavy snow during the future few days. The snowfall in Yuexi has accumulated to 22 cm in depth. [Xinhua]

In southwestern Guizhou, power has been cut off in nine counties because of grid damage caused by the freezing rainy weather.

By midday Tuesday, three 500-kv transmission trunks and 25 other smaller lines had halted service because of serious damage, according to the Guizhou Power Grid Company.

The company had stopped supplying electricity to seven highly energy-consuming industries and had imposed limits on other industries to ensure electricity for households, government buildings and hospitals, said Chao Jian, deputy general manager of the company.

Chao said the company was organizing repair teams and seeking help from neighboring Yunnan Provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to help with repair work.

In eastern Anhui, more than 3 million people have been affected by a heavy snow from Friday through Sunday, which caused snow drifts of up to 50 centimeters in certain areas.

A total of 3,635 houses collapsed under the weight of snow, according to the provincial disaster relief office.

Traffic, power and telecommunications were cut off in more than 50 towns of the province.

The Emergency Management Office of the State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a notice on Monday, asking all localities to pay high attention to the effects of the snow and rain.

Premier Wen Jiabao has ordered the governments to help the people in a practical and effective way, said the notice.

Local government were also ordered to strengthen meteorological monitoring and to release details to the public in time.

According to the National Meteorological Center (NMC), the snow was waning, but it would stage a comeback on Friday after a short break.

"Sichuan, Hubei, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangji and Anhui will face another round of test, governments in these area should be on high alert," said Bi Baogui, deputy NMC head.