Over 58,000 people affected by extreme cold weather in south China

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 12, 2022 shows the Nanhu lake in rain and mist in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

NANNING, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, more than 58,000 locals in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region had been affected by the extreme cold weather since Feb. 18, said the region's emergency management department.

Meanwhile, the freezing weather inflicted damage on over 1,360 hectares of crops. Thirteen cities and 45 county-level regions in Guangxi had logged a total direct economic loss of more than 63 million yuan (about 10 million U.S. dollars) caused by the extreme weather, said the department.

About 4,000 personnel from Guangxi's electric power sector have participated in deciding the work of the region's electric power lines. Currently, 26 out of the 62 highways interrupted by the extreme cold have seen traffic resumed, and further repair work is still underway.

Starting from Feb. 18, most of the region has seen rainy days, with parts of Guangxi experiencing heavy rainfall and rainstorms. Some mountainous areas in the northern part of Guangxi have reported icy road conditions or sleet.