China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) Monday urged drivers to use extreme caution in Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi in southern China which has been hit by freezing rains.

Motorists were asked to strictly follow the instructions of traffic police and drive slowly after the expressways in the regions were reopened for use after being temporarily closed due to the severe weather.

Freezing rains that swept south China's Guizhou Province, Hunan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have caused road surfaces to ice up in parts of the Lanhai and Hukun Expressways.

As a result, many vehicles in the regions were stranded.

Local authorities have been ordered to take emergency measures to break up ice found on the roads, keep traffic moving and avoid shutting expressways.

As of 4:00 PM Monday, the 1,500 vehicles that were stranded on Hukun Expressway near the juncture of Hunan and Guizhou provinces had safely reached Guizhou, traveling at speeds up to 30 kilometers per hour.

Meanwhile, another 1,900 vehicles that had been stranded on National Highway 210 where Guangxi and Guizhou meet, have also reached Guizhou.

Noting that Guizhou in the coming three days is expecting more icy rain, according to weather forecasts, Huang Ming, deputy minister at the MPS, stressed improved measures be taken to ensure traffic continues to flow in the region.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2011)