The death toll rose to 20 on January 27 when freezing temperatures and record snowfalls continued to batter northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, local authorities said.

Nine people in Altay Prefecture and 11 people in Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture have died in the worst snow in six decades, said regional civil affairs department officials.

The blizzard and avalanche hit the northern part of Xinjiang this week, particularly in Altay, Ili and Tacheng. More than 1.5 million people have been affected, with more than 160,000 evacuated and 1,304 injured, officials said.