GUANGZHOU, CHINA — Police and soldiers attempted to control hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded at a major train station in southern China on Monday by blizzards and ice storms that have created a transportation crisis during the nation’s busiest travel time of the year.
Forecasters warned that new snowstorms and freezing rain could soon hit central and eastern China, putting more pressure on already strained transport, communications and power grids.
The freakish weather has already affected 67 million people, and the total economic loss was $2.5 billion, the Civil Affairs Ministry said.
In the southern city of Guangzhou in booming Guangdong province, officials estimated that 200,000 stranded travelers — mostly migrant factory workers — filled the huge plaza in front of the city’s main train station. They spilled out into a busy road that had to be closed to give people space to camp out while they waited for trains.
Radio announcements said most trains had been canceled and tickets were no longer being sold until Feb. 7, the start of the Chinese New Year — the nation’s biggest annual holiday.
The weather began wreaking havoc two weeks ago when sleet and snow storms began snapping power lines for trains in neighboring Hunan province — a midpoint for the busy rail line that runs from Guangzhou to Beijing. The ice storms also closed highways, and 24 deaths have been reported since Jan. 10, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
The government pledged Monday to increase the output of gasoline, coal and power to ease shortages amid the severe winter weather, which has forced rationing in some areas, Xinhua said.
The announcement came as coal prices hit a record high Monday and heavy snows blocked deliveries to power plants.
The severe winter has compounded chronic power shortages faced by China as demand from factories and households soars amid economic growth that hit a 13-year high of 11.2 percent in 2007.
The energy crisis struck as the government was already struggling to ease shortages of pork, grain and other food items that have set off a sharp rise in inflation.
On Friday, the Cabinet ordered local authorities to ensure adequate food supplies to keep prices stable ahead of the Chinese New Year.
At Guangzhou’s train station, officials scrambled to control the crowds and find temporary shelter for the migrant workers in schools and convention centers. Police blew whistles and barked orders into bull horns as soldiers stood guard at key spots around the station.
Many of the workers were stoic or cheerful, accustomed to huge crowds, discomforts and long delays that are common in the lives of China’s impoverished classes.
One young mother who would give only her surname, Yang, spent the night on the street in front of the station with her 7-month-old daughter. The ground around her was littered with chicken bones, sunflower seed shells and cigarette butts.
Yang said her morning train was canceled and she would probably have to cancel her holiday visit with her family in neighboring Jiangxi province. She said she would probably spend the holiday in her small apartment in nearby Foshan city, where she works in a factory that makes digital cameras.
“There’s no reason to get upset about this or blame anyone,” Yang said. “It’s just the weather’s fault.”
