[as found on the 'net]
BBC: Last Updated: Sunday, 3 February 2008, 12:03 GMT
STORM-HIT CHINA CALLS FOR 'FAITH'
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has urged people to "have faith" that
some of the worst snow storms in 50 years can be overcome, state media says.
Mr Wen called the extreme weather a "severe natural disaster" as he
travelled to Hunan province, one of the worst-affected.
The weather has caused travel chaos and left thousands of people stranded.
One woman has been trampled to death in the southern city of Guangzhou,
in a stampede to board a train.
Another southern city, Chenzou, has reportedly had no power for a week,
and many of its 4m resident have also been without a stable water supply
for days.
Furious clashes
Elsewhere in Hunan province, heavy fog further paralysed the transport
network, delaying flights and road traffic.
Map
China grinds to a halt
Power becomes priority
Elsewhere, travellers clashed with police and soldiers after being
stranded on Sunday at an airport in Guangzhou, the capital of southern
Guangdong province.
The BBC's Daniel Griffiths witnessed furious scuffles as passengers
demanded airline officials put them on another flight after a cancellation.
Our correspondent says the authorities took several hours to resolve the
stand-off, and there were similar scenes here throughout the day.
'More snow'
At Guangzhou train station on Saturday, a woman died after falling
during a stampede to board a train home to Hubei province in central
China, state media reported.
Hundreds of thousands of stranded people have been forced to spend the
night in the open in sub-zero temperatures at the station.
Two distressed passengers at Guangzhou railway station on 3 February 2008
Officials say over 200,000 sick and injured people have been treated
Travellers are trying to get home for this week's Lunar New Year
holiday. For many workers it is their only chance to see their families
all year.
The government has set up a command centre to coordinate its response to
the crisis, deploying more than 300,000 soldiers and almost 1.1m reservists.
Xinhua quoted the prime minister as assuring his country people: "We
have the faith, courage and ability to overcome the severe natural
disaster."
The provincial weather bureau has forecast more snow for Monday and Tuesday.
The extreme weather, now in its fourth week, has affected an estimated
100m people, and caused 54bn yuan (£3.8bn) of damage.
Officials say emergency medical teams have treated over 200,000 sick and
injured people, and that 60 people have died.
Officials have warned of future food shortages because of damaged winter
crops.
[endit]
Note that this is now officially called a "severe natural disaster."
"Global Warming" or the Greenhouse Effect and "El Nino", and resulting
"Unseasonable" or "Atypical" weather are a consequence of the opening of
the third Seal. Rev 6:1-6.
For those who have eyes, let them see. The first three seals have been
opened, and the fourth seal is soon.
Glenn
His witness
--
www.thelittlebookopened.org [Key words:] "The Little Book";
Glenn McClary, servitum, gaedhealic, oldwetdog
.
|
