Thousands of vehicles stuck on highways in China as snow snarls Lunar New Year travel

Beijing, February 6

Thousands of motorists were stuck on highways in central China as heavy snow snarled travel during the annual Lunar New Year rush.

Aerial images showed long traffic back-ups in Hubei province on Monday night.

About 4,000 vehicles were stuck because of icy conditions, a provincial official told state broadcaster CCTV. The jams were expected to be cleared by Tuesday.

The heavy snow, unusual for central China, was forecast to continue into Wednesday. Millions of people are heading home for the Lunar New Year, which falls on Saturday. Families traditionally gather for dinner the night before.

The airport in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, temporarily closed runways several times because of icy conditions. Some flights and trains were cancelled, stranding travellers for hours.

One person was killed and 13 others injured in neighbouring Hunan province on Monday after a roof collapsed at a produce fair following a heavy snowfall, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Cotton-padded quilts and other relief items were being sent to Hunan, Xinhua said.