At least four people were killed and seven others injured in traffic accidents as a blizzard swept through provinces in northeast China for a third day today paralysing normal life.
The casualties were reported in eight traffic accidents, all of which happened on slippery and frozen roads, local officials in Jilin, one of the worst-hit provinces said.
More traffic police have been mobilised to conduct 24-hour patrolling on the roads and drivers were urged to take extra precaution.
The blizzard, which began to hit the northeastern provinces of Jilin, Heilongjiang and Liaoning on Saturday, also forced schools and highways to close today.
The education authority in Jilin told state-run Xinhua news agency that all kindergartens, primary and junior high schools were closed in the cities of Changchun, Jilin and Baishan, where snow was more than 10 centimetres deep.
"Students' safety is our top priority. Where the weather is not that bad, closure of schools is not mandatory," Lu Lin, head of the school security office under the Jilin Provincial Department of Education was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
The severe snowstorm caused traffic jams in most northeastern cities this morning.
Frozen highways were closed and people were waiting at bus stops and taxi stands.
More than 20,000 people and police have worked in rounds to clear snow and ice from the streets, but the result has not been satisfactory as the snow continues to accumulate on roads, the report said.
Flights are operating at Changchun's Longjia International Airport.
However, the airport issued a yellow alert and delays are expected as visibility has dropped below 500 metres.
The snow had delay 21 trains coming into or leaving Heilongjiang as of 1 PM.
Meteorological observatories have issued warnings for heavier snow during the next 24 hours.
