Debris from a market building in Shucheng County, east China's Anhui Province, which collapsed under snowfall days earlier, remain unattended until January 22.

Heavy snow, the worst in a decade in many places, has fallen over most of China since January 12, causing homes to collapse, power cuts and highway closings and destroying crops.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the disaster-stricken population had topped 30 million in 10 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) as of January 23. Direct economic losses amounted to 6.23 billion yuan ($862 million).