Heilongjiang counts the cost of snowstorm

Power and water supplies disrupted, traffic at a standstill after storm

After squeezing through a door blocked by snow, 56-year-old Kang Chuanguo and his family have been working tirelessly to salvage what is left of their farm.

Of the four 400-square-meter greenhouses providing the family's sole source of income, only one has survived unscathed from blizzards that have hit Northeast China. One collapsed, while minor damage was caused to the others.

"This snowstorm has cost us at least 40,000 yuan ($6,400)," said Kang, of Qianjin village, Hegang, Heilongjiang province.

Although snowstorms are common in the region in winter, Kang said: "I've rarely experienced the kind of blizzard we're seeing now."

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