China has dispatched its army to help millions of people stranded by snowstorms that have caused transport gridlock.
The storms have crippled power distribution and left many towns and villages short on supplies.
At least 460,000 troops from the People's Liberation Army and paramilitary forces fanned out across parts of China where dozens of people have died amid the worst storms in 50 years.
China is intensifying its efforts to deal with the punishing weather, which has caused chaos on the roads and railways as millions of people swamp the transport system for the annual Lunar New Year holiday.
The state news agency Xinhua said China was waging 'all-out war' as weather forecasters predicted more blizzards and icy conditions into next week.
Army helicopters would try to reach those suffering from cold and a lack of drinking water in areas cut off by the snow.
One million police officers also have been deployed to maintain order on congested and icy highways where traffic has ground to a halt, while the health ministry sent out 14,000 medics to treat the sick and injured.
At least 50 deaths have been blamed on more than two weeks of icy weather and 78 million people across large parts of central, southern and eastern China have been affected.
Almost 220,000 passengers were stranded in Guangzhou today, down from an estimated 500,000 reported on Monday.
