The snow has claimed 13 lives in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The local Bureau of Civil Affairs says nine people have died in Al-tay, while four more perished in the Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture. The blizzard and freezing temperatures have left about one thousand people ill or injured. More than 1.4 million residents have been affected, with 160,000 evacuated. The severe conditions have also toppled 7,000 residential buildings, and damaged 21,000 homes.

The weather also left about 100,000 heads of livestock dead or injured, while placing 3 million more in danger of starvation. The regional government has earmarked 65 million yuan for aid, and allocated tens of thousands of tons of relief supplies.