> The Portrait of a Helpless "Olympic Host" in Darkness -- Guizhou
> Residents: 'We are Living in Darkness with No Help'
>
> The Epoch Times
>
> Guizhou Residents: 'We are Living in Darkness with No Help'
>
> By Feng Changle and Li Ling
> Epoch Times Staff
>
> Feb 05, 2008
>
> http://en.epochtimes.com/news_images/2008-2-5-79487284.jpg
> The worst prolonged snow, rain and cold weather period in a decade has
> hit about 19 provincial level regions in China, responsible for the
> deaths of at least 60 people and paralyzing air, rail and highway
> traffic and stranding tens of thousands of passengers. (China
> Photos/Getty Images)
>
> Related Articles
> - Passenger Crushed to Death in Guangzhou Railway Station Monday,
> February 04, 2008
> - Snowstorm Traps 4 Million People at Guizhou Monday, February 04, 2008
> - Snow-Stricken China Warned That Worst Is to Come Friday, February 01, 2008
> - China Snow Leaves Millions in Cold and Dark Friday, February 01, 2008
> - Over Half Million Expected Stranded at China Rail Station Sunday,
> January 27, 2008
>
> Icy rain the likes of which has not been seen in a century has brought
> tremendous hardship and great loss for residents in Guizhou Province.
> One resident said, "It is so terrible. We are living in a world of
> darkness, silence, helplessness and hopelessness. Every minute seems
> like a thousand."
>
> "Vegetables and piglets frozen "
>
> A villager from the Zunyi area told the reporter that it was the first
> time in her life that she had seen such a big snowstorm with icy rain.
> Actually she had never even heard of sleet like this before.
>
> It has been raining for more than half a month and has not shown signs
> of stopping. The weather has been misty, hazy, rainy and chilly, and
> over 10 inches of ice and snow has accumulated on her roof.
>
> She said the piglets were frozen to death and the vegetables were
> covered with a thick layer of ice. Life for her family was extremely
> difficult since they had lost water and power for more than two weeks.
>
> To get water, her family had to fetch ice from the outside and let it
> melt. They hadn't done any laundry or taken a shower since the day they
> lost water.
>
> Their world is covered with snow and ice, they stay inside for almost
> the entire time, and they can't get any vegetables from the outside
> except for the frozen vegetable leaves grown in their own field.
>
> They still had some supplies of coal for cooking and heating, but she
> was very worried that they would run out of them before the storm stops.
> The only thing that pacified her was that her telephone was still
> working though her cell phone was not.
>
> When asked if the authorities had shown any concern for their suffering
> or provided any solutions to relieve their situation, she answered, "The
> government officials are all involved in official corruption. Who would
> care about us the common folks? I have not seen any officials at all.
> We, the villagers, just have to count on ourselves."
>
> Hot peppers at almost every meal
>
> Another Guizhou resident said that, the entire province was undergoing a
> most serious blackout. Even with the traffic lights off, he could see
> that the ice on the road was more than a foot thick, and no vehicle or
> pedestrian could be seen.
>
> He also said that the entire province had been pitch black at night as
> if it was the end of the world. At home, only some candles, coal and a
> hot water bag could bring his family some light and heat.
>
> Many workplaces, factories and schools had to close due to the loss of
> power and water. Some residents living in the upper stories of high
> buildings were trapped inside for days because the elevators had stopped
> working, he said. All the stores and restaurants on the streets were closed.
>
> As for food, they only had a limited amount of rice stocked at home. The
> vegetables were running out, while the prices soaring. Therefore his
> family had hot peppers to go with a given amount of rice in a bowl at
> almost every meal.
>
> The cost of coal rose from 400 yuan (US$55.66) to 1800 yuan ($250.47)
> per ton. He didn't believe it would come back even by Chinese New Year
> Day, which is February 7.
>
> It is said that a regular room in a four-star hotel normally priced
> about 300 yuan ($41.75) a night, but now it has gone up to more than 700
> yuan ($97.41) and people are still waiting in line to get in.
>
> Several people frozen to death on the freeway
>
> An Internet user told the reporters that, due to icy road conditions,
> the buses from some southern areas werestranded on the freeway and
> several passengers were frozen to death. Knowing the roads were closed
> in Guizhou, the authorities in the south were irresponsible in letting
> the buses keep coming to the place buried in ice and snow: This caused
> the suffering and death of the passengers from the south.
>
> According to the surfer, the ice and snowstorm disaster has turned China
> back into a primitive society, where walking has become the major means
> of transportation.
>
> "Leaving millions of people in cold and dark reveals the fragility of
> 'socialism with Chinese characteristics,' yet exposes the sham of it.
> Guizhou is now covered with ice and snow, beneath the white surface lie
> the "administrative achievement" projects--developed power plants that
> are dead due to the fragile power network, luxurious office buildings
> and large guest houses that look like ice sculptures, and isolated
> counties that are forgotten," said the user.
>
> Copyright 2000 - 2007 The Epoch USA Inc.