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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (front R)
waves to passengers when he visits the ticket office at a long-distance
coach station of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province,
Jan. 30, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)
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BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao on Wednesday visited passengers stranded at the railway station in the
southern city of Guangzhou, saying the government will try its best to make sure
they can go home for family reunion for the upcoming lunar New Year.
Speaking through a megaphone to a large crowd, Wen
told passengers: "You all want to go home and I completely understand how you
feel. We are now fixing the power grid. Once the power supply resumes, trains
will be running.
Wen visited stranded passengers in Changsha, capital
of central China's Hunan Province, before arriving in Guangzhou.
Heavy snow and icy rain since Jan. 10 have caused
traffic standstill at a peak season when millions of Chinese are on their way
home to celebrate the Spring Festival with their families.
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao talks with
passengers on a train leaving for Nanchang in east China¡¯s Jiangxi
Province, at the Guangzhou Railway Station in Guangzhou, capital of
south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 30, 2008.(Xinhua Photo/Yao
Dawei)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
"All the works are proceeding expeditiously and
orderly. The number of trains that resume services is increasing everyday," Wen
told the passengers in Guangzhou.
"We are working hard to make sure you all can go home
soon and be with your family for the holiday," he said.
Wen also boarded a train bound for Wuchang in Hubei
Province and greeted passengers.
"The Premier was in Hubei the day before yesterday
and in Hunan yesterday. I do not expect him to come to Guangzhou today despite
the rain. I feel warmth in my heart," said a passenger.
In his visit to the China Southern Power Grid, the
premier ordered the company to mobilize all forces available and take all
measures possible to fix power equipment and streamline power distribution.
Wen then chaired a meeting with officials from
Guangdong Province and the Railway Ministry. "In the short term, Guangdong's
priority is to let passengers go home as soon as possible. In the long term,
Guangdong needs to set up a mechanism that safeguards the supply of coal,
electricity and oil," he said.
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (front L)
sends off passengers on a train leaving for Nanchang in east China¡¯s
Jiangxi Province, at the Guangzhou Railway Station in Guangzhou,
capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 30, 2008.(Xinhua
Photo/Yao Dawei)
Photo Gallery>>> |
"After thirty years of reform and opening-up, we have
abundant material stock. With efficient organization, we can definitely overcome
the current difficulties," he added.
By Wednesday, about 217,000 passengers had been
stranded in Guangzhou because the southern end of the Beijing-Guangzhou railway
line, a north-south trunk railway, has been paralyzed by heavy snow in Hunan
Province, where power transmission facilities have been knocked out.
Many trains have been delayed and traffic on the
Beijing-Guangzhou line is unlikely to return to normal within the next three to
five days as snow is persisting in central China.
Earlier this week, Premier Wen rushed to Hunan to
help with the central China province's disaster relief work following an
unprecedented snowfall.
He arrived in Changsha City, the provincial capital,
on Tuesday morning. Then he immediately held meetings with officials from Hunan
and those in departments under the State Council on how to combat ice and snow
and how to better direct the disaster relief work.
Disasters caused by prolonged low temperature, icy
rain and heavy snow has killed 38 people in China since Jan. 10, according to
the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Wednesday.
Altogether 17 provinces, autonomous regions and
municipalities including Hubei, Hunan and Anhui have been affected.
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L2) speaks
through a megaphone to the crowd when he visits passengers stranded at the
Guangzhou railway station in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong
province, Jan. 30, 2008. Wen said that the government would try its best
to make sure they could go home for family reunion for the upcoming lunar
new year.(Xinhua Photo)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
China vows to ensure supply, stable
prices of farm produce threatened by snow
BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government has
vowed to ensure a steady supply of farm produce, which has been threatened by
the heavy snow that has fallen since mid-January, the worst in five decades. Full Story
China's air force flies winter relief
materials to snow-affected areas
BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Four Chinese air force
Ilyushin II-76 military transport aircraft on Thursday began flying relief
materials to south China areas affected by severe winter weather. Full Storey
China intensifies relief work for
disaster-hit areas
BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- China has stepped up relief
work for areas affected by ice and snow by mobilizing women's and youth
organizations and military forces. The government also offered help to Taiwan
compatriots and businessmen on the mainland who have been affected by the
weather. Full Story
Communist Youth League members offer
help in disaster-hit areas
BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Central Committee of the
Chinese Communist Youth League (CCYL) has granted membership dues to support its
members' disaster relief activities in nine worst-hit regions. Full Story
China fights "war" against havoc
caused by snow
BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- China is waging all-out war
against the disasters caused by heavy snow and rain in the southern provinces,
with military forces and police officers getting involved. Full story
Forecaster: China's winter storm to
continue
BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's worst winter weather
in five decades will continue over the next three days, the China Meteorological
Administration (CMA) said on Wednesday.
Heavy snow and sleet has paralyzed transport and coal
shipments, and led to travelers cramming railway stations and airports. Power
supply has been reduced in almost half of the 31 provinces, autonomous regions
and municipalities on the Chinese mainland. Full story
China's Politburo meets on extreme
weather
BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Political Bureau of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is urging local
authorities to regard disaster relief as the "most pressing task" and to make
"all-out efforts" to ensure normal production and life in areas hit by
unprecedented bad weather this month. Full story
Premier Wen rushes to Hunan Province
to direct disaster relief work
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) speaks by
a loudspeaker to the stranded passengers at the Railway Station of
Changsha in central China's Hunan Province on Jan. 29, 2008. (Xinhua
Photo)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (1st L,
front) shakes hands with a stranded passenger at the Railway Station of
Changsha in central China's Hunan Province on Jan. 29, 2008. Wen Jiabao
arrived in Changsha on Tuesday to help direct disaster relief work in the
central Chinese province, which had been hit by appalling weather.(Xinhua
Photo)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao has rushed to Hunan to help with the central China province's disaster
relief work following an unprecedented snowfall.
Wen flew out of Beijing on Monday night but had to
land at Tianhe Airport in neighboring Hubei Province because of the bad weather
in Hunan. He then completed his journey by train and arrived in Changsha City,
the provincial capital, on Tuesday morning. Full story
China allocates another $13.5 mln to
aid snow-hit areas
BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of
Civil Affairs (MCA) and Ministry of Finance on Tuesday allocated 98 million yuan
(13.5 million U.S. dollars) to four rain and snow-hit provinces to help those
affected.
The two ministries have so far provided a total of
126 million yuan in financial aid to six provinces hit hard by icy rain and
heavy snow. Full story
