Special Report: China's war on snow havoc

    BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Tonga recently provided assistance to China for disasters relief in snow stricken areas, sources with the Chinese Foreign Ministry said here Friday.

    The Russian government decided to donate 10 large-scale diesel generators and 16,500 pieces of quilts to the affected regions. Part of the relief materials on Friday afternoon was sent to Guiyang, capital city of southwest Guizhou Province, one of the worst ice-stricken regions in south China.

    The materials would also be transported to Hunan, another worst-hit province.

    The government of Tonga decided to donate 25,000 U.S. dollars to China.

    Snow and ice storms plagued eastern and southern China since mid-January, leading to widespread traffic jams, structural collapses, blackouts and crop losses in 19 provincial regions, leaving 129 people dead and causing 151.65 billion yuan (21.3 billion U.S. dollars) of losses. It was the worst snow disaster for the country over the past five decades.