Life in snowstorm-hit areas in south and east China provinces is gradually returning to normal as disrupted transport and power supply being resumed and living conditions improved day by day, according to the latest release on Saturday by the disaster relief and emergency command center under the State Council.

In its daily brief on the progress of disaster relief, the center said that rail and highway transportation are quite normal throughout the country, except a few counties in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guizhou Province, where there are traffic control measures on some low-grade roads due to freezing surface.

All airports in the country are open and operate normally, it said.

By Saturday, the State Grid has restored power supply to 20.86 million customers, or 92 percent of the affected total. The stockpile of power coal had reached 21.68 million tons by late Friday, enough to fuel national power stations for 11 days on average.

The center said that by Saturday afternoon, 300,000 person times of military troops, 325,000 person times of armed police and1.85 million person times of paramilitary members have been mobilized to participate in the disaster relief efforts.

Prices of living necessities in disaster-stricken areas have remained steady, with that of meat and eggs dropped slightly, the brief said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2008)