Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan paid a visit to China's snow-and-ice hit Guizhou Province on Saturday to guide the disaster relief work.

Leading a work team dispatched by the State Council, China's cabinet, Zeng met repair workers and administrators of the southwest province's electricity grid.

Snow has been falling in east, central and south China for more than a fortnight. Guizhou is one of the provinces worst hit as water supply shortage, blackouts and communication obstacles have affected 2.49 million people in 57 counties, cities and districts.

Zeng urged repair of the damaged electricity transmission equipment as soon as possible and redoubled efforts for de-icing work on roads. He also called for launching power generators using diesel oil, if necessary, to resume power supply.

He told local officials to pay more attention to the living conditions of common people in the snow-hit areas and to maintain a steady market supply before the Spring Festival.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2008)