Snow death toll hits 40 in northern China

Beijing - The death toll has risen to about 40 after the heaviest snow for decades hit parts of northern China, the government said on Friday. At least 21 people died in collapsed buildings, while 19 others died in road accidents caused by icy weather in five northern regions, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and state media said.

The victims included four children who died after heavy snow caused the roof of a canteen to collapse at a primary school in the worst-hit province of Hebei.

The heavy snow since Monday affected an estimated 75.5 million people in Hebei, four other provinces and the nearby municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin, the ministry said.

The paramilitary People's Armed Police mobilized 20,000 officers to help with relief work in the snow-hit areas.

Shijizhuang, the Hebei provincial capital, recorded its heaviest snowfall since 1955.

Meteorological officials in Shijiazhuang recorded 7.44 centimetres of snow in 24 hours by early Wednesday with accumulated snow up to 48 centimetres deep in some areas.

Tens of thousands of passengers were stranded at airports earlier this week and at least 30,000 other road travelers were trapped by deep snow in rural areas, reports said.

Another 13 people died on Wednesday when a tour bus fell into the sea from a bridge after skidding in heavy rain near Weihai city in the eastern province of Shandong.

Eight passengers and the driver survived the accident, which police blamed on the slippery road, the official Xinhua news agency said.