Heavy snowstorms battered parts of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Saturday, disrupting road traffic and prompting swift emergency responses from local authorities to ensure public safety.
Starting early Saturday, heavy snow blanketed the Kanas scenic area in Altay Prefecture, northern Xinjiang, covering houses, roads, and infrastructure. Local traffic police responded by managing vehicles at key intersections and using patrol vehicles to escort tourists out of the area safely.
Due to hazardous conditions, traffic control measures were imposed from 15:00 on roads leading to the scenic area.
Blizzards also struck the region's Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. On the Guozigou expressway section of northwestern Xinjiang, snowfall had persisted since Friday evening, covering roads with a thick layer of snow.
Meanwhile, strong winds stirred blowing snow, drastically reducing visibility. This saw road maintenance crews working tirelessly to clear the snow and maintain safe passage.
On roads severely affected by blowing snow, visibility dropped to less than 50 meters, and surfaces turned dangerously slippery. Police employed flashing lights to direct vehicles to safety and assisted in rescuing stranded ones.
As of 20:00 on Saturday, heavy snowfall persisted, leading to temporary restrictions on large trucks traveling between Ili and Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.
Heavy snowfall blankets parts of Xinjiang, disrupting traffic in key areas
A Chinese medical team left China on Saturday heading for Ethiopia, where they will offer technological assistance and support to talent development in the country's healthcare sector over the next 12 months.
The 14-member team includes experts in clinical medicine, medical technology, hospital administration, and logistical support.
Mainly selected from the First Hospital Affiliated to the Army Medical University (AMU) in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the team members possess extensive experience in medical practice and management.
During the mission, the experts will help the country's military hospitals to enhance medical service capacity, promote the application of new technologies, strengthen hospital operations, train professional personnel, and support the establishment of healthcare management systems, thereby contributing to the improvement of local medical services.
"I feel deeply honored by this mission, and I'm fully aware of the responsibility it carries. We are committed to carrying forward the spirit of China's overseas medical teams, which features tenacity, dedication, commitment to saving lives, and love that knows no borders, and will apply our skills for the benefit of the Ethiopian military and civilians," said team member Guo Hao from the AMU.
Since 2015, the AMU hospital has dispatched 11 batches totaling more than 100 medical experts to Ethiopia.
Their efforts gave strong support to achieving notable progress in medical facility construction, and technological and talent development in the country's healthcare sector.
China sends 11th group of medical experts to Ethiopia
