The snowy and cold weather, the worst in a decade in many places, has also left homes collapsed, power blackouts and crops destroyed.

Millions of people were without heat and hot water, as thick ice brought down power lines and transport disruptions aggravated chronic wintertime shortfalls of coal, which produces three-quarters of the country's electricity.

In Guizhou Province, 28 highways and expressways were closed because of ice, leaving 27,000 travelers stuck in bus stations in Tongren and Zunyi, according to the provincial transport department.

From Thursday evening to next Wednesday, snow and rain will be seen in most areas in Guizhou, said Tang Zhuqiang, deputy director of the provincial meteorology bureau, on Thursday.

Seventeen cities and towns in eastern Guizhou witnessed their longest-ever low temperature period.

The snow also put great pressure on power supplies in the province, with around one third of mobile transmission stations forced to shut down.

Thousands of people were stranded in the neighboring Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, while most highways in neighboring Hunan province were closed.

In Changsha, Hunan's capital, electricity for heating equipment in hotels and entertainment venues has been cut off, according to Dai Qinghu

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