Days worth of snowfall has caused traffic to reach a complete standstill in the Northwest Chinese province of Shaanxi with some highways completely blocked by fallen trees and over 50cm of snow.

Close to 100 heavy-duty semi-trailers and passenger cars were stranded in the Qinling Mountains. In early Monday morning, traffic departments launched efforts to shovel snow, sprinkle salt on icy road sections, and provide hot water and food for those trapped in the snow-bound area.