China says power being restored for millions

TONGREN, China (Reuters) - Power supplies knocked out byfierce winter weather were being restored for millions ofChinese at the start of the Lunar New Year holiday onWednesday, state media said, but residents in one city weresceptical.

Scores have died in snow-related accidents in the run-up tothe holiday, one of the greatest annual migrations of humanity,with the usual travel chaos compounded by the coldest winter in100 years across vast swathes of the south, centre and east.

Chenzhou, a city in the central province of Hunan and theworst hit, was getting its power back after being blacked outfor 11 days, Xinhua news agency said.

But a resident surnamed Cao who lives in the old part oftown begged to differ.

"It's pitch black here," he told Reuters. "We don't haveelectricity. Over at my sister's house they have electricitybut they were told it would be off later. We were told it wouldbe on by 6, but there's nothing yet."

Another Chenzhou resident said: "A small number of placeshave electricity."

About 1,000 pylons and poles in the region had collapsedunder the weight of ice and snow, which means the local grid,that took decades to build, had effectively been destroyed,Xinhua said.

But skies were clearer across most of the country onWednesday, a three-day rain and snow "severe alert" was liftedfor the worst affected areas and temperatures had risen to wellabove freezing in the south.

"As most of China is predicted to have clear weather forthe Lunar New Year holiday, the country may get a breathingspace to recover from the disaster," Xinhua said.

President Hu Jintao visited the autonomous region ofGuangxi in the south where state television showed him helpingsoldiers load food and other aid on to a helicopter.

"If we are united as one, working in strength, we canovercome the current difficulties and ensure victory allround," he said, urging the soldiers to pay attention tosafety.

Whole cities had had their power and water cut off for morethan a week and 11 electricians have been killed trying toreconnect lines or break ice encasing poles and cables.Livestock and crops have been destroyed.

The remote township of Wengxiang in the snowy mountains ofGuizhou province hadn't had electricity since January 14.Residents also have to negotiate steep, icy paths to fetchwater in buckets because pipes are frozen or cracked.

"At night, it's like a blanket of darkness," said residentPan Zhengkai, adding that families ate their dinner at 4 p.m.before darkness set in.

"I guess we'll have to have the new year celebrations indarkness." he said. "We can't afford candles."

Across the country, 170 of more than 2,000 counties hadsuffered outages. By Wednesday, 169 counties had had theirpower restored, or partially restored.

Premier Wen Jiabao was in Guizhou on Wednesday on his thirdvisit to disaster areas in nine days.

"Only when the masses are reassured can the country be atpeace," Xinhua quoted him as saying. "Only when the country isat peace, can the leaders be relieved."

HOLIDAY MISERY

Rising prices of coal, vegetables, pork, rice and otherstaples have added to the holiday misery, but the sea oftravellers waiting for trains, especially in Guangzhou in thesouth, had cleared.

Many mostly poor, migrant workers had already given uptrying to get a ticket home and opted to stay put. "Millions ofChinese had to say 'sorry' to their loved ones," Xinhua said.

Firecrackers, which will explode through the night acrossChina and for much of the next 10 days, had already started.

"The biggest problem has been keeping the children warm atnight," said farmer Ye Xiaoling in the farming and manganesemining area of Wanshan in the Guizhou prefecture of Tongren,which has also been without power since January.

"Our problem is that our homes and everything else are notused to such cold."

She also said the children had complained they would not beable to watch the traditional state TV entertainment special,often described as the most watched on Earth, which many willhave to listen to by radio.

With safety in mind, the Beijing city government sent outan SMS wishing residents a happy Spring Festival, a period whenfirework accidents kill some and injure many across thecountry.

"Please set off fireworks in a legal, civilised and safemanner," it said.

(Additional reporting by Jason Subler and Li Jiansheng inBeijing and John Ruwitch in Hong Kong; Writing by Nick Macfie;Editing by Bill Tarrant)