Guangdong Department of Civil Affairs has arranged 27 million RMB for disaster relief for the 3.82 million affected local residents. The passengers stranded on the highways, railways, Guangzhou Railway Stations and other emergency shelters are on top of the help list.

Yesterday, as more passengers returning to their hometowns in Northern China got stranded in Guangzhou Railway Station because of the weather, Guangzhou opened the International Exhibition Center Pazhou Venue as shelters for passengers on Feb 2. Till today, over 10,000 passengers stay in the Venue waiting for their train, and free metro service connecting the Venue and Railway Station is now launched.

As the severe weather condition continues, local governments in Guangdong started persuading migrant workers to stay in Guangdong for Spring Festival, which falls on Feb 7. Till Jan 30, statistics show about 11.2 million migrant workers, 60 percent of total, will not leave Guangdong before Spring Festival, 1.3 million of which cancel their planned trip home.

Guangzhou has appropriated 1.55million RMB as special funds for festival entertainments for the migrant workers staying in the city. Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan and Huizhou had also started to arrange festival activities for migrant workers.

Editor: Yan