China warns of 'grim' situation

Chinese authorities are warning that the continuing snow storms would still crush the hopes of many people desperate to see their families during their only break of the year.

"The most difficult period is still not over yet. The situation remains grim," the Chinese cabinet said in a statement reported on Saturday by The Associated Press. More snow and sleet were forecast across southern and central China.

The warning came as millions of Chinese began preparations for next week's Lunar New Year holiday period.

On Friday, heartbreaking video from the southern city of Guangzhou showed crowds of people -- many of them migrant workers --screaming, elbowing each other, in some cases sobbing and collapsing in the rush to get a slot on a train.

Police battled to keep order in chaotic scenes in the capital of southern Guangdong province. One officer lifted a small child above the crowd as the child's mother clutched the officer's coat. A woman who fainted was carried over the mob to receive medical help.

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