Record cold in southern China

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HEFEI, China, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Regional governments in southern China are struggling to aid citizens coping with the lowest temperatures recorded in 28 years, officials said.

"You can find shelters and aid stations for the elderly and homeless in all communities and villages in our district," said civil affairs official Zou Zhongxian of the city of Hefei.

The city of Guangzhou arranged for 1,347 additional shelters for the elderly, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported Tuesday.

Massive amounts of snow blanketed mountains in Anhui Province Tuesday, and over 1,000 traffic officers and volunteers worked to prevent traffic disruptions, the news agency said.

An official in Hunan province said 113 power lines have frozen, and the civil affairs bureau of Guangzi Zhuang Autonomous Region reported freezing rain and snow have adversely affected winter farming in the region.