KILLER COLD SPELL ENGULFS CHINA

At least 21 people have frozen to death in northern China where snow and sand storms have cut off thousands of herdsmen and their families. The storms are the worst to hit the remote area for twenty years. The gritty snow mixture coupled with record low temperatures have left hundreds of thousands with little food and no fuel, sky news reports. One old woman died when she tried to reach a shed housing her sheep and cows. Even though the outbuilding was just 40 metres from her home - the cold proved too much. Another man, a shepherd, also died while trying to look after his flock. He was discovered half buried in snow, six days after he went to lead the animals to safety. The cold has spread to Inner Mongolia and Siberia. In Inner Mongolia alone there is thought to be more than 10 million head of livestock who are unable to forage for food buried under the sandy snow. In Kazakhstan, which is to the south of Siberia, temperatures dropped to as low as minus 46 Celsius (minus 50.8 Fahrenheit).