Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday visited passengers
stranded at the railway station in the southern city of Guangzhou.
He said that the government would try its best to make sure
everyone goes home for family reunions during the upcoming lunar
New Year.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
talks with passengers on a train leaving for Nanchang in east
China's Jiangxi Province, at the Guangzhou Railway Station in
Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 30,
2008.
Speaking through a megaphone to a large crowd, Wen told
passengers: "You all want to go home and I completely understand
how you feel. We are now fixing the power grid. Once the power
supply resumes, trains will be running.
Wen visited stranded passengers in Changsha, capital of central
China's Hunan Province, before arriving in Guangzhou.
Heavy snow and icy rain since Jan. 10 have caused traffic to
come to a standstill during China's peak travel season when
millions of Chinese are on their way home to celebrate the Spring Festival with their families.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
(L2) speaks through a megaphone to the crowd when he visits
passengers stranded at the Guangzhou railway station in Guangzhou,
capital of south China's Guangdong province, Jan. 30, 2008. Wen
said that the government would try its best to make sure they could
go home for family reunion for the upcoming lunar new
year.
"All work is being expedited in an orderly fashion. The number
of trains that resume services is increasing every day," Wen told
the passengers in Guangzhou.
"We are working hard to make sure you all can go home soon and
be with your family for the holiday," he said.
Wen also boarded a train bound for Wuchang in Hubei Province and
greeted passengers.
"The Premier was in Hubei the day before yesterday and in Hunan
yesterday. I did not expect him to come to Guangzhou today because
of the rain. I feel his warmth in my heart," said a passenger.
In his visit to the China Southern Power Grid, the premier
ordered the company to mobilize all forces available and take all
possible measures to fix power equipment and streamline power
distribution.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
(front R) waves to passengers when he visits the ticket office at a
long-distance coach station of Guangzhou, capital of south China's
Guangdong Province, Jan. 30, 2008.
Wen then chaired a meeting with officials from Guangdong
Province and the Railway Ministry. "In the short term, Guangdong's
priority is to help passengers go home as soon as possible. In the
long term, Guangdong needs to set up a mechanism that safeguards
the supply of coal, electricity and oil," he said.
"After thirty years of reform and opening-up, we have abundant
materials in stock. With efficient organization, we can definitely
overcome any current difficulties," he added.
By Wednesday, about 217,000 passengers had been stranded in
Guangzhou because the southern end of the Beijing-Guangzhou railway
line, a north-south trunk railway, was paralyzed by heavy snow in
Hunan Province, where power transmission facilities were knocked
out.
Many trains have been delayed and traffic on the
Beijing-Guangzhou line is unlikely to return to normal within the
next three to five days as snow is persisting in central China.
Earlier this week, Premier Wen rushed to Hunan to help with
central China province's disaster relief work following an
unprecedented snowfall.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
(front L) sends off passengers on a train leaving for Nanchang in
east China's Jiangxi Province, at the Guangzhou Railway Station in
Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 30,
2008.
He arrived in Changsha City, the provincial capital, on Tuesday
morning. Then he immediately held meetings with officials from
Hunan and those in departments under the State Council on how to
combat ice and snow and how to better direct disaster relief
work.
Disasters caused by prolonged low temperature, icy rain and
heavy snow has killed 38 people in China since Jan. 10, according
to the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Wednesday.
Altogether 17 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
including Hubei, Hunan and Anhui have been affected.
(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2008)
