Thousands of Chinese cars stuck in world's largest migration

Hàng nghìn ô tô Trung Quốc kẹt cứng trong cuộc di dân lớn nhất thế giới - 1 — Roads are temporarily closed due to heavy snowfall in Huai'an, Jiangsu on February 4 (Photo: Bloomberg).

Icy weather has left thousands of motorists stranded on highways in central China as snow and freezing rain hampered travel during the New Year holiday.

Air, train and road travel during the peak Lunar New Year holiday period was also affected by adverse weather.

A resident said she and her boyfriend had to wait hours for rescue teams to break the ice on February 5. They had only been able to move 30-40km in 13 hours the day before due to snow and rain.

Unusually heavy snowfall in central China is forecast to continue until February 7. Millions of people are traveling home for the Lunar New Year. Families traditionally gather on New Year's Eve, which falls on February 9.

The central government in Beijing said it will disburse 141 million yuan ($20 million) in emergency aid for highway snow removal and related work to ensure safe travel during the holiday.

Travel during the Chinese New Year holiday, also known as Chunyun, takes place in the 40 days leading up to and following the event. Chunyun is the time of year when Chinese people travel the most and is considered the largest human migration on the planet.

This year, China estimates that people will make 9 billion trips during the Spring Festival, using all means of transport, including private cars. That is double the number in 2023, when China tightened its anti-Covid-19 measures.

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